The Duality of Sincere Devotion
by CrazyNinjaPenguin
Summary: Retsu Unohana is an accomplished healer who takes great pride in helping her patients through what ails them. Just how far would she be willing to go to help heal one with a broken heart? Unohana X Soi Fon. Yuri. complete
1. Diagnosis

A/N: Hello and welcome to my sixth fanfic for Bleach. Like the others, this one is a yuri pairing. Retsu Unohana X Soi Fon. If you do not approve of this sort of pairing go find something else to read. This fic is rated M and at some point will contain material of a sexual nature. If you do not approve of that, go find something else to read as well. Everyone else, please enjoy the ride.

DIsclaimer: If I got a free Ice Cream truck, I'd be happy, but I still wouldn't own Bleach.

Loneliness. That's all there was. That's all there ever was. Sure, there were moments of happiness in her past, but none of them were fated to last. For all her longing, she never got the one thing she actually wanted: to be loved.

She had thought she was loved in the past. Certainly she had been in love in the past. Then her beloved left her without a word. Loneliness made her cold, it made her bitter, it made her indignant, but it never replaced in her that girlish desire to have another hold her, to have another love her.

Then, after one hundred years of darkness, her love appeared before her again. Her heart had fumed with choleric anger at seeing the one who had abandoned her, crushed her, yet again. However, in all her fury she had never come close to abandoning the original feelings of love. Her glorious stand came to an end with her, a trained warrior and assassin, at her knees in tears as she begged for answers to her heartbreak. The tears, the cries, the helpless, pathetic display she put on, none of it stopped her love from leaving her behind once more.

"Captain Soi Fon, your opinion please," the powerful voice of Head-Captain Yamamoto arrested the girl from her thoughts.

Soi Fon looked around. She didn't even know where he was at first. Her body felt weak and her mind was cloudy. It didn't take her long to realize she was standing with the other nine active Captains of the Gotei 13 in the Seireitei meeting hall. Everyone was staring at her, waiting for her to make some sort of response.

"Umm... well, you see... I guess that could possibly work..." Soi Fon looked down at her feet as she gave a simple response. She honestly had no clue what they had been talking about before.

Shunsui Kyoraku, the best humored of the group, gave a polite but definite snicker while all the rest continued to stare at her.

"Captain Soi Fon, that response inadequately addresses what has been asked of you," the sixth division's Byakuya Kuchiki said coldly, causing Soi Fon to blush.

"I apologize General Yamamoto and my fellow Captains... I-I... failed to correctly hear the question..." The Captain of the Second Division could not believe how embarrassed she felt.

"What's the matter, Captain, cat on your mind?" Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the bizarre captain of the 12th squad said with a cruel grin. Soi Fon glared at him.

"Shut up, Kurotsuchi!" Soi Fon growled viciously, though her weary condition prevented her from even reaching a fraction of the anger she was truly capable of.

"Enough! We were discussing the preparations we should take in regards to the recent betrayal by Captain Aizen and the others. General Yamamoto has asked what sort of role the Special Forces should play in the upcoming battle. Try not to get distracted, Captain," the youngest captain, Toshiro Hitsugaya, scolded vehemently.

Soi Fon's embarrassment became evident once more, as she tried to come up with a response with her blurred brain, "I see... I apologize... the Special Forces should be ideal for--"

"As I see it, we don't need any of that Special Forces crap, all we gotta do is go in there and kick Aizen and every single hollow loyal to him's ass," Kenpachi Zaraki of the eleventh division said forcefully, his hand atop the sword he wore at his side.

"Yes, but not everyone has your vigor, Kenpachi. Charging into Hueco Mundo and battling every opponent in our way, is a sure path to undue casualties. Wouldn't it be better to see if we could use stealth to eliminate some of our foes?" Captain Jushiro Ukitake said in a weak voice.

"Tch, sneakin' up on people like that ain't how real men fight..." Kenpachi growled mostly to himself.

Sajin Komamura, the bestial captain of the seventh squad gave a low growl, "Back to the Head-Captain's question... what is the outlook for the special forces?"

"Right," Soi Fon tried her absolute best to reclaim her focus, but for some reason her entire being seemed to lack energy, "Even with our stealth training, there's little we can do... Our enemy is largely unknown at this point. Sending anyone in there, regardless... regardless of how well they can conceal themselves, is likely suicide at this point..."

"I agree, it is far too early to take any such risks. We must wait until our enemy makes his move," Byakuya said in his almost apathetic manner. His voice became harder to hear for Soi Fon as he spoke. Something felt wrong. The only thing she could hear clearly was her own heart racing.

"Yes. That is for the best. We must wait to see what sort of enemy it is we face..." Yamamoto's powerful voice was but a muffled whisper in Soi Fon's ears. She could feel her body shaking as her strength left her.

She was still barely conscious as her legs gave out and she fell backwards expecting to hit the floor. Instead her downward progress was impeded as a warm embrace caught her. A gentle feminine voice spoke as everything went black.

"Every thing will be alright, Captain Soi Fon..."

* * *

The night air felt cold on her skin as she sat by a tree underneath a full moon. Leaning back to lie in the grass she found her head ease into the lap or another. She looked up with wide, gentle eyes to see _her_ sitting there with a lucid smile.

_She_ was beautiful in every way. _Her_ lustrous dark purple hair, _her_ piercing yellow eyes, _her_ smooth dark skin, that heavenly smile, all of it made a creature so captivating that even the titles "princess" and "goddess" failed to truly capture _her _beauty.

"Lady Yoruichi, what did I do to deserve the opportunity to feel your warmth like this?" she cooed softly as _she_ ran _her_ smooth, warm hand through her hair.

"You didn't have to do anything, Soi Fon, just be there to feel it..." _her_ soft, lush voice made her heart flutter with every syllable.

"I love you, you know," she said languidly as her eyes found focus in the depths of those belonging to the beautiful creature above her.

"I know. I love you as well, Soi Fon." The words that left _her_ lips, left her feeling as if she was melting into _her_ arms. She felt so happy as she stared up past her goddess and into the sky. A single dark cloud cast itself over the full moon.

"If that is true, why did you leave me all alone, Lady Yoruichi?" she couldn't stop the tears from entering her eyes.

No response came. _Her_ hand stilled at the top of her head. _Her_ hair lost its luster and _her_ eyes lost their glimmer. _Her_ smile finally faded.

"Answer me, Lady Yoruichi! If you really care about me, why did you abandon me?! Why did you leave me all alone?!" she shouted as she sat up and turned toward the other.

Still no response came. Looking at _her_, _she_ appeared to be completely motionless, frozen to time as if _she_ wasn't even real. As she continued to watch, _she_ began to disintegrate into the air bit by bit until nothing was left behind except for a shapeless mass of blackness.

"Please, I don't want to be alone!" a helpless scream left her lips as her eyes closed.

"You're not alone Captain Soi Fon, I'm here right now," a soft, serene voice whispered. Suddenly she felt warm again. She opened her eyes

Soi Fon was no longer lying in the grass. There was no tree, no moon, no cold breeze, and no Yoruichi Shihoin. Instead the lovesick Captain of the Second Division of the Gotei 13 was in an unfamiliar room, on an unfamiliar bed, resting in the arms of an all too familiar woman, Fourth Division Captain Retsu Unohana.

"U-Uno- Captain Unohana? W-what's going on? Where am I?" Soi Fon said in a frantic fashion as she struggled to sit up. Her body felt so weak.

"You collapsed during the meeting, Captain Soi Fon. This is the Fourth Division's medical wing," Retsu answered politely, an amiable smile upon her elegant countenance.

Soi Fon vaguely remembered the embarrassing meeting. She calmed down as the pieces fell in place. One thing still troubled her however.

"Why were you holding my like that, Captain Unohana?" the younger captain asked with averted eyes and a blush upon her cheeks.

The benevolent woman continued to smile sweetly as she explained, "Your condition left you shivering from cold in your sleep. As a healer it is my duty to do what is best for the patient and that includes using my own body heat to help keep them warm."

Soi Fon would have proceeded to ask why Retsu didn't just throw a few blankets on top of her or something, but now she had a different question. "What condition? What's wrong with me?" she near-demanded.

"You have an extraordinary fever, Captain Soi Fon," Retsu's voice held a slight solemn quality.

"F-fever?" Soi Fon twitched at the sound of the word.

"Yes, the same sort of terrible fever that fell upon you one hundred years ago," the serene woman softly muttered.

Soi Fon remembered what the woman spoke of. Immediately after Yoruichi Shihoin left Soi Fon and the Soul Society behind for the first time, she fell terribly ill. Her body had become weak and non-responsive, to the point where emerging as the new Captain of Division 2 had been nothing short of an incredible feat for her. After months of trying to battle the illness on her own, it suddenly flared up and left her in this same woman's care. Retsu Unohana saw her vacated of physical ill in a matter of days.

"Why does this happen to me?" Soi Fon asked in a low, almost vulnerable fashion.

"I'm pretty sure I don't need to tell you that, Captain," the healer said dourly as she shut her eyes.

"B-but I don't understand! Why would she... why would that cause my body to become so weak?" Soi Fon pondered how miserable she must have looked.

"We shinigami are spirit forms, Captain Soi Fon. There is no difference between one's spirit and one's body, and one's heart happens to be steadfastly linked to one's spirit. It shouldn't be surprising then to lean, Captain Soi Fon, that most of the illness facing shinigami would be psychophysiological," Retsu's eyes held kindness and sadness as she spoke.

"Psycho-physio-logical?"

"It refers to a physical ailment brought on by an emotional trigger rather than a pathogenic one. Such illnesses can be detrimental to a shinigami's general health and wellness," the benign woman's eyes held concern.

"How do I get better?" Soi Fon asked, she wanted desperately to rid herself of the aching weakness gripping her body.

"Just like I did one hundred years ago, I can treat the symptoms just as one treats the symptoms of any pathologic disease. However, you will run the risk of the symptoms reemerging whenever the trigger resurfaces."

"So basically, all I have to do is avoid Lady Yoruichi the rest of my life and I'll keep my health..." Soi Fon sad gravely, as if it was a horrible, bleak prospect.

"If only it was that easy," Retsu gave a deep sigh.

"W-what do you mean by that?!" Soi Fon asked immediately. She couldn't see anything easy about it at all.

"Tell me, Captain, would avoiding her keep you from thinking about her and having dreams like the one just now?" The question made Soi Fon shiver.

"Of course not! I-I l-love her. Forgetting her entirely is impossible," Soi Fon near shouted, scared and angry.

"I never said to forget Captain Shihoin, Captain Soi Fon. In fact, that would probably be the most unhealthy move you could ever make," Retsu said in such a tranquil manner it forced the other's temper to immediately even.

"So what do I do then? If I couldn't get over her in a hundred years, how am I supposed to now?" the smaller girl said with a downtrodden expression.

"Maybe you went about it wrong the first time..."

"I devoted that entire century to training to become stronger than her..." the younger captain reflected.

"As I see it, you aren't the type of person where that sort of thing works, Captain Soi Fon. Surpassing her was never something that truly mattered to you. All that ever mattered for you was one thing," the fair captain divulged her view.

"And what is that?" Soi Fon asked, knowing the answer she would receiving and how very true it was.

"Love," Retsu said in a faint voice, almost as a whisper, "You desire to be loved. It's the only thing you truly want and thus is the only thing you truly need."

"I..." Soi Fon started. There was nothing she could think to say. Soi Fon had always thought she was strong. She was a trained shinigami and assassin, a captain of the Gotei 13, words like "love" were supposed to have no meaning to someone like her. But Retsu Unohana was one of those women whose very presence was so daunting it couldn't be challenged. Hearing it from this woman's lips, Soi Fon knew it was true. She really was weak after all.

"You were brought up, Captain Soi Fon, to lead your life with the sole purpose of serving a single person. Captain Shihoin was the meaning of your life. Now she is no longer within your reach," the soft-spoken woman offered a modest smile.

"You don't have to tell me that, Captain," Soi Fon said with a hint of bitterness.

"It has become instinctual for you to want to live for someone else's sake. Your spirit does not feel at ease when it is intimately alone. That is why, when you are reminded of you're loneliness, your health deteriorates," Retsu's smile became a memory as her expression evened.

"So you're telling me I need to find someone new?!" the Second Division Captain shouted, not because the idea made her angry but because it frightened her.

"That seems like the most obvious course of action..." Retsu's reply came promptly, her not flinching in the slightest at the other's raised voice.

"And why should I believe you?! What makes you think you understand me so well?!" Soi Fon didn't want to yell at this woman who seemed to embody warmth and kindness, but her body was cold and in pain, her mind was a little fogged and Retsu Unohana was asking her to give up on Lady Yoruichi.

"That is just my diagnosis, Captain Soi Fon, as an experienced healer and as a friend..." these words caused Soi Fon to realize how stupid she was acting.

"I apologize, Captain Unohana. it was out of line for me to raise my voice like that," the apology put a soft smile on Retsu's face.

"I understand how much she means to you, Captain Soi Fon. I understand how difficult it is."

Soi Fon looked at the other woman. Maybe she was weak, but she wasn't helpless. She had ambition. She didn't want to become just a miserable creature, too broken to be of any use. She was the type to face any difficult obstacle head-on and find or make a way to overcome it.

"I suppose I will try. I don't know what luck I'll have. As Captain of the Second Division and Commander of the Special Forces, I doubt there's anyone even worth my time," Soi Fon said in a bit of a huff, a snarl still about her face.

"I could assist you then, Captain Soi Fon," Retsu said with a fuller smile.

"Assist me? How?"

"People have a strange tendency to do what I tell them. I could arrange meetings with people who are maybe worth the time of even someone such as yourself," Retsu's gentle smirk stayed as she spoke.

"And why would you do something like that?" Soi Fon asked, slightly intimidated by the somewhat blunt statement.

"As I said before, it is the duty of the healer to do whatever it takes to address her patients' ills in the best way possible," the Fourth Division's Captain replied.

"I see," Soi Fon stated simply. She knew that if left lone she'd have put a half-hearted effort into this. Retsu probably knew this as well.

"Then it's settled. I'll begin making arrangements right away," Retsu said as she stood to leave. Soi Fon stood as well.

"Thank you for everything, Captain Unohana," Soi Fon gave a gracious bow before walking ahead of the woman and toward the door.

"And where do you think you're going, Captain?" Retsu's question sent a shiver down Soi Fon's spine.

"Y-you're done looking at me, right? I was going to head back now..." the younger captain turned around nervously.

"But, Captain Soi Fon, that's simply out of the question. Your fever hasn't gone down completely; you still need to rest," the poised woman said as hospitably as ever.

"It's just a fever, Captain. I'm sure I'd be able to manage it fine on my own," Soi Fon assured with a soft laugh.

"Your fever hasn't gone down completely; you still need to rest," the woman repeated in the exact same tone as before. For some reason, this time it was more convincing.

"A-alright..." Soi Fon said softly as she walked back towards the bed and sat on it once more.

"Rest well, Captain Soi Fon," Retsu's pleasing voice filled Soi Fon's ears as she laid back onto the bed. As she closed her eyes she wondered what sort of dream might await her this time.

A/N: That's it for the first chapter. I hope it wasn't boring. I tried to make it sweet and cute, something not very hard with these two. Retsu is such a fun character to write. And of course Soi is just adorable. The next chapter should be fun with a bit more humor. I don't know what else to really say. Tell me what you thought. i like reviews.

In my weekly poll this week I asked my readers who they thought would make a better main character of Bleach than Ichigo out of a selection of characters i chose. After seeing the results, I have to say that my readers really suck right now (not really, you guys are awesome and your reviews make me happy). 13 out of 31 of you think Hitsugaya would make a good main character, and you should all know by now that I irrationally hate him. Good thing you had some sense and at least put Soi Fon ahead of that bastard with 18 votes. That would be an interesting show, the romantic adventures of Soi Fon and her Yoruichi-sama (yes, I actually prefer Yoruichi-sama to Lady Yoruichi, but just using selective honorifics seems slightly tacky to me and since I don't have the patience to memorize how each and every character refers to every other character, you get stuck with it). Grimmjow was another leader in the poll at 10; I can see a show focusing on a character like him. Rangiku and Karin tied for fourth. I'm not sure how good a show with Rangiku as the lead would be she seems, more a supporting type. Karin on the other hand, I could see, just make her the Kurosaki Rukia gives her powers too. The only thing that would change is it'd be Rukia and the tough loli girl instead of Rukia and the good-natured punk, considering all the Ichigo X Rukia vibes, imagine the yuri subtext that be there if Karin was there instead. Most everyone else did alright. Tessai of course did terrible. i really only put him on the list because his outfit in the recent manga chapters is just incredibly awesome. Chojiro also did horribly, but I really wasn't being serious about him, even if he does fascinate me for some reason due to his complete lack of significance.

Anyways, another pointless Bleach opinion question for me to eventually babble about this week. Vote if you like, just remember to review.


	2. Treatment: Dates 1, 2 and 3

A/N: Wow. You guys rock. I can't believe the response the first chapter got me. Seriously, this has to have been the most reviews I've ever received on an opening chapter immediately after posting it. Thank you everyone who reviewed. You all are awesome.

Disclaimer: All the reviews make me happy, but I'm saddened when I remember that I do not own Bleach.

Soi Fon could feel her heart racing as the other woman's lips pressed against hers hotly. Yoruich wrapped her arms around the other, her hands finding the small of the woman's back through her clothing as she intensified the kiss with some tongue. Eagerly Soi Fon returned the gesture and allowed herself to melt into the blissful passion of the deep kiss.

Her own hands struggled upwards across the sides of Yoruichi's stomach and then across her shoulders before proceeding even further up to languidly stroke her beloved's hair. Yoruichi pulled her mouth away from Soi Fon's suddenly, replacing it at the girl's neck where she began to place quick, moan inducing kisses.

"La-dy Yor-u-i-chi... uh... so good..." Soi Fon struggled to say through moans as the other woman's lips at her neck left her feeling acquiescent. Yoruichi pulled away wordlessly and replaced her lips from Soi Fon's neck back to her lips.

The kiss continued as Yoruichi slowly wrapped her way behind the smaller woman, forcing Soi Fon to strain her neck to keep the sweet flavors of her beloved's lips on hers. As Yoruichi's arms encircled her body, the right hand going to her chest, while the left went to her inner thigh, Soi Fon broke the kiss to give a suppressed pleasured cry.

"I love you so much, Lady Yoruichi," Soi Fon cooed submissively as Yoruichi gently cupped her breast with one hand and slowly inched her other up Soi Fon's thigh.

Yoruichi began to kiss at the back of the other's neck as her hands continued to work their magic. Her left hand finally ended it's slow trek as her fingers traced aline across the crotch of Soi Fon's pants. Soi Fon's back arched at the feelings of pleasure, coming into contact with Yoruichi's soft ample chest. She leaned back into her lady Yoruichi's warmth as her partner began to nibble softly at her ear. Everything felt so heavenly.

"I want this to last forever..." Soi Fon purred in a fragile voice as she felt her pleasure build with every movement the other made.

Yoruichi said nothing, she gave a soft, low purr into the other's ear, causing a hard shiver to quake down Soi Fon's spine.

"Will it last forever, Lady Yoruichi?" Soi Fon asked vulnerably, her body still quivering.

Yoruichi remained silent. Her hands began to move faster and faster, until her touch became so overwhelming that Soi Fon was forced to close her eyes. When she opened them she was surprised to find that both her and Yoruichi were now unclothed.

"Say that you love me, Lady Yoruichi! Tell me you won't leave me behind!" Soi Fon panted. She could feel the supple flesh of Yoruichi's unclad chest pressed into her back as the dark skinned goddess fervently kneaded her own breast with her right hand.

Yoruichi's left hand was still at work as well. An incredible sense of euphoria swept across Soi Fon's being as she felt the Shihoin princess's well trained fingers dart skillfully up and down her lewd, watering sex. Her elation built with each and every tiny movement of the other's fingers. She was moaning and screaming it felt so good.

Yet it felt so hollow. Yoruichi wasn't saying a word to her. Her questions, her cries, her pleas were all going unanswered. Yoruichi continued to bring her body to greater and greater levels of ecstasy but her mind was given no comfort.

As her body found release, Soi Fon forced herself to remember the truth. She was really alone. She forced the dream, unsure if it was a nightmare or a personal fantasy, to disappear as she opened her eyes, this time for real.

Sitting up in her bed, Soi Fon disgustedly removed her hand from between her legs, scorning the incredible dampness that clung to both it and her sheets. She cursed herself for having such a wholly improper dream. She couldn't believe how absolutely pathetic she was.

With much difficulty she forced herself to her feet. She felt horrible. Her body ached, her mind hurt, touching her hand to her head she could feel a scorching heat coming from it. And this was the day after Retsu had finally released her from care.

She sighed as she remembered the kind, elegant woman. According to Retsu Unohana's diagnosis, Soi Fon would be plagued with the pain and nausea she felt now regularly lest she found someone to love her.

She loathed the idea. Lady Yoruichi was the only one for her. She was the only one who interested Soi Fon. No one could just replace Yoruichi in her heart.

Of course, the beautiful medic had a different opinion. Retsu Unohana had taken it up as a personal mission to set the second division captain up with potential new love. Today was to be her first date.

It was somewhat daunting for Soi Fon. Retsu had remained tight-lipped about who her date would be, only promising that it would be someone worth the time of a shinigami as prominent as her. Soi Fon of course was curious, but really she didn't care. No matter who it was, they would be nothing when compared to Lady Yoruichi.

She only agreed to the meeting, she only left to meet her mystery date, because not listening to Retsu Unohana was something unthinkably difficult.

--Date no. 1--

Soi Fon sighed as she looked around. She was standing at the intersection where she was supposed to meet with her date for the evening. She still felt miserable, and having to wait several minutes for this individual to show up was really wearing on her. Eventually she turned around and saw a familiar figure approach her.

"There you are. I apologize for being late, Soi Fon," Jushiro Ukitake said groggily before giving a slight cough; he looked worse than Soi Fon felt.

"Uki-Uktake? What are you-?" Soi Fon started, confused. Realizing what was going on, she asked, "So you're the one she picked, then?"

"Captain Unohana told me you were in need of companionship, she said your health depended on it," Jushiro explained in a tired voice. Soi Fon blushed; why'd it have to be someone she knew, it made this so much more embarrassing.

She quickly realized it made perfect sense though. She had told Unohana she only wanted to date people who were worth the time of a captain of the Gotei 13. What was more worth the time of a captain than another captain. It was only logical. She was impressed to find Unohana had so much power over even the other Captains.

"Where are you planning on taking me?" Soi Fon asked dryly.

"Would you care to accompany me to dinner?" the white haired man answered with a polite invitation.

"Sure, whatever," Soi Fon sighed, knowing full well this would be helpless.

Jushiro lead her to a small, quaint restaurant not far from where they were. They were shown a booth in the corner and proceeded to order dinner.

"So, Captain Unohana says your health depends on you feeling compassion from others," Jushiro struggled to strike up a conversation. Soi Fon couldn't help but feel a little bad for the honorable man.

"Apparently so," Soi Fon forced a light smirk. She didn't want to be rude even if this was an impossible situation.

"We all respect you, Soi Fon. You are a part of all our lives. You have no reason to feel alone," Captain Ukitake said in his respect commanding voice.

"I just don't have the love I need..." the commander of the special forces sighed morosely.

"I understand. It's a difficult thing, losing someone who was once a part of your life. No matter how much time passes, removing their smiles from your memories proves impossible," Jushiro's words held an even greater depth of sadness.

Thoroughly depressed, Soi Fon sighed again, "shinigami can be real pathetic, can't they...?"

"I suppose. Lately my very understanding of what a shinigami is capable of has changed," the righteous man had a deep melancholy in his eyes.

Soi Fon let out yet another sigh as the conversation was directed away from the depressing and toward the infuriating. She growled, "being a shinigami apparently has been proven to be a hollow means in understanding a person's moral compass."

"I've been meaning to ask you about that Soi Fon." Jushiro coughed harshly, clearing his throat, he asked, "What do you make of their betrayal? How long do you think the three of them had Soul Society moving to their will?"

"While she was here Lady Yoruichi told me they were behind why she had to leave," Soi Fon stated dispassionately, looking down at the table in front of her as disagreeable thoughts enveloped her brain in darkness.

"I see. Those three only understand half of the pain they've caused," the ill man said gravely. He paused a long while, coughed hoarsely then paused again before saying, "It must be really painful for you to know that it was not her choice to abandon you..."

It was at this moment that the food the two of them had ordered finally arrived; Soi Fon took the opportunity to think as the server placed the plates in front of them. Jushiro Ukitake was a kind, respectable and understanding sort of man. There was a lot in him that was redeemable. Soi Fon supposed he was handsome as well, though she had never really sized up the physical appeal of someone other than her Lady Yoruichi before. In deciding who she was attracted to it had never been men versus women but rather her goddess, Yoruichi Shihoin, versus everyone else in the goddamn world.

But Jushiro Ukitake just wasn't going to work for her. She watched as he sampled the piece of grilled fish in front of him. He took a sip of his tea before he started to cough until blood was on his hand. Soi Fon doubted there was anything she could gain from being with someone more helpless than herself.

Having controlled his bout of coughing and taken another bite of fish, Jushiro spoke, "The food here is pretty good, Soi Fon. You might think to taste what you have ordered."

Soi Fon looked down at the plate in front of her. She felt worse than when she had arrived at the restaurant. Hell, she felt worse than she did that morning immediately after her dream. Just looking at the fish on her plate left her feeling nauseous, and her nausea reminded her of the splitting headache cutting down her brain.

"I'm sorry, Ukitake... I don't think I can eat anything."

"I understand, Soi Fon," Ukitake said solemnly. He paused briefly to take another bite of his meal before adding, "If you wish, I would not hold it against you if you were to leave."

"You mean that?" the second division Captain asked, coming to a brief focus to look at the man in front of her.

"I know I did little to address your plight, but Unohana was probably wrong to choose me for such a job in the first place," Jushiro said in a low distressed voice.

"I thank you for trying, Captain Ukitake," Soi Fon said soberly as she stood from the table. She tossed enough money to pay for her uneaten dinner onto the table as she began to walk through the restaurant toward the door.

As she walked, the pain in her head felt like it was pounding at her skull. Her body felt as if it was going to give out. As she opened the door and proceeded out, back into the Seireitei streets, she felt as if she would keel over and just die at any second.

Despite her loathsome condition, Soi Fon was not immune to sudden surprises. So when in taking three steps beyond the restaurant's walls and turning to head back to the Second Division she found in her path a warmly smiling Retsu Unohana she was, needless to say, taken aback.

"Captain Unohana? What are you doing here?" Soi Fon mumbled in a feeble voice.

"I was just in the area and thought id check on how your date went today," Unohana said gently. Soi Fon currently felt like a knife was cleaving her brain in two, yet even still the prospect that Retsu would be right there at exactly the right time failed to make any sense to the girl.

"But why are you...? How did you...?" Soi Fon's fogged brain struggled to find a proper question.

"Did you and Captain Ukitake a have a pleasant evening?" Retsu asked softly, staring at the other with selfless eyes.

"Not entirely..." the smaller woman admitted.

"Is that so? I thought Captain Ukitake to be a kind, virtuous man. What objections did you have?" Retsu's words held a soft sadness about them.

"He was fine... just a little sad..." Soi Fon stated deliberately.

"I see." Retsu closed her eyes solemnly. "Perhaps it isn't best for one trying to recover from sickness to date a sick man..."

Soi Fon nodded softly. Even the slightest motion left her feeling drained.

"Speaking of such, your face is flush, Captain Soi Fon. Has your fever returned?" the benign healer showed clear concern on her face.

"I don't..." Soi Fon began; before she could finish she felt her legs give out entirely. She fell forward, collapsing into Retsu's waiting arms.

"Would you be interested in trying again with someone else tomorrow, Soi Fon?" Retsu whispered placidly.

"Alright... but make it someone a little livelier this time..." the second division captain uttered in a muted voice. Retsu began to stroke her hair as she held her snugly. Very soon, Soi Fon had fallen asleep in the woman's arms.

--Date no. 2--

Soi Fon sighed as she walked down the street. She had awaken that morning, to her surprise, in her own bed. A beautiful calligraphed note had been nearby, instructing her to meet someone at the same location as the previous day at the same time.

She had been a little hesitant in leaving the house for another date after the first disaster. But sleep had been refreshing. As someone who only dreamt about two things, Yoruichi and nothing, she was pleased to find it had been the latter that night. She was eager and willing to meet with whatever the day had in store.

Nearing the intersection of streets where she had met with Jushiro the previous day, she pondered who today's partner would be. She wondered if, like Jushiro, he'd be late in arriving. She wondered what this person would have her do with him. Then she arrived at the intersection and all of her questions were immediately answered.

"So, you've finally decided to show up, eh? 'Bout time," A deep voice sounded with a demonic laugh. "Now... draw your zanpakuto, Captain, and prepare to fight!"

Soi Fon turned at once to see Kenpachi Zaraki charging towards her wearing a maniac's grin and clutching his sword firmly. As the gap between them quickly closed, the eleventh division captain made a lunging slash at the woman. Soi Fon had little choice but to draw Suzumebachi to deflect it.

"Zaraki, what the hell do you think your doing!" Soi Fon yelled fiercely as she steadfastly warded off the daunting man's strength with her own, until he was forced to push back.

"What're you talkin' about? Captain Unohana's the one who told me you were lookin' for a partner. If you showed up here, should mean you're ready for the fight," Kenpachi said with his over-excited, battle-hungry grin, as he leered at the other Captain.

"You seem to _seriously_ be misunderstanding something," the special forces commander said hurriedly, gritting her teeth.

"Huh, what do you mean? What else would Captain Unohana want us to do together?" the large man shot her a puzzled glare.

"God dammit Zaraki, are you really that stupid?!" So Fon shouted in a mixture of disbelief and irritation.

"Who you callin' stupid?!" Kenpachi clenched down on his zanpakuto, obviously prepared to make another strike. "Don't think I'll hold back just 'cause you're a woman, Captain!" And with that, he let another brutal slash fly through the air towards the other.

Soi Fon gave an inner sigh as she dodged the swift attack. She couldn't believe this man. She couldn't believe any of this. What the hell was Retsu thinking? As Kenpachi began to launch strike after strike in her direction she wished she had an answer. The man was damn relentless. Luckily, with her speed, Soi Fon could run circles around him.

"Stop runnin' away and fight me already," Kenpachi said in his bored masculine drawl after Soi Fon had disappeared from his sight with a flash step.

The smaller captain struggled to recover her breath from the rooftop she had fled to. This obviously wasn't going to work for her. She would just have to make a break for it while she was still in one piece.

"There you are!" the possibly psychotic man shouted adrenalized, as he used the freakish strength behind his blade to demolish the building on which his prey rested. Countless bystanders ran screaming from inside as Kenpachi cornered his opponent.

It was at this point, Soi Fon realized she had little choice. Kenpachi Zaraki wasn't going to let her get away unless she fought him. Cursing everything, Soi Fon steadied Suzumebachi.

"What's this? You actually ready to fight back now?" Kenpachi laughed, deeply amused, as he noticed the other's new stance.

Soi Fon grunted. Zaraki lifted his blade for another cut. She made a precision dodge before launching a quick kick combo aimed at his chest. The freak's skin was like iron. She bounced off, doing no damage. He readied another blow as she landed; she dodged it as before. This time she made her own slash with Suzumebachi at the man's waist. His spiritual energy was so intense it was hard for even her to get a good cut in. She had to settle for one that could only be called semi-deep.

Kenpachi laughed as he felt blood trickle across his stomach. He began to cut harder and faster than before. Even with her great speed Soi Fon still had little trouble dodging. Evading a hit she went to make another cut at the monster of a man. This time, Kenpachi was prepared for it. He stilled Suzumebachi's blade, and thusly Soi Fon herself, with his open hand and then with his sword arm he let a brutal cut down her back. Furious and pained, Soi Fon struggled from the man's grasp, awarding him a brutal cut to the shoulder in the process.

The fight continued for hours. Quickly, a crowd of spectators had amassed to observe the bloody duel between two captains of the Gotei 13. Several high ranking officers and even a few lieutenants, chiefly Soi Fon's own Marechiyo Omaeda and Kenpachi's child companion, Yachiru Kusajishi, who was the most vocal cheerer of the bunch, rounded out the crowd. The streets were abuzz with talk of whom the victor would be and bets were being taken.

Cut and bloodied though she was, Soi Fon felt great. Kenpachi was a genius of the fight. There was something about struggling to keep up with him that was oddly refreshing. Maybe it was just that she hadn't had a real opportunity to let off steam through violence since her big fight with Yoruichi. Still, even if it felt good to fight like this, all the damage she had accrued was beginning to wear on the female shinigami.

"Zaraki... Maybe we should call it quits... I don't think there's much more either of us could take..." Soi Fon huffed. Cuts lined her body. Her backless and sleeveless shihakusho was prominently stained with blood. She felt as if she could pass out from exhaustion at any time.

Kenpachi was also noticeably messed up. Several deep cuts ran down his chest and stomach. Many butterfly shaped marks covered his body, brought upon by her shikai.

"Quit? What a joke. It's not a real fight until one of us is dead!" the demon-like man said with a powerful laugh as he continued his onslaught. Despite himself, he looked about ready to keel over as well. And that was not mentioning the fact that, if she wanted to, Soi Fon could go for an instant kill with her shikai technique and some precision aiming.

"This has been fun, Zaraki, but I have no intention of dying today!" Soi Fon shouted as she plotted her escape. "Shunpo!" the woman cried as she focused her kido energy around her arms and back. With a vicious motion she let all of it fire at the unsuspecting eleventh division captain sending him flying several feet into a solid wall. Her opponent immobilized, she used a flash step to make her escape while the crowd cheered.

Landing a distance from her point of departure, Soi Fon almost toppled to the ground. It took everything she had to stay standing. Looking up she was surprised to find Retsu Unohana standing in front of her.

"Y-you're joking... how did you find me again?" the smaller woman stuttered, shocked and confused.

"Oh my, what happened? You're all covered in blood, Captain Soi Fon..." Retsu changed the subject with a concerned voice.

"What do you think happened?! You're the one who set me up with that psycho!"

"Oh? I take it the date didn't go well then?" the healer spoke with a tinge of melancholy.

"Well, it wasn't a bad fight, I guess. I'm not sure I'd really call that a date though..." Soi Fon said with some thought.

"Are you willing to try again tomorrow?" Retsu asked with her usual soft smile.

"I don't know. You really haven't been doing too good a job of picking people. I still don't see what made you think Zaraki would work," Soi Fon said with hesitation.

"Last night you told me you wanted someone livelier. I've always known Captain Zaraki to posses a great deal of energy," the fourth division captain explained with a solemn smirk.

"Tch, maybe it'd be best if they had a little less energy next time..." the younger captain said bitingly, almost sarcastically. The elegant woman's charm was having a hard time standing up to the pain from her wounds.

"I understand," Retsu assured before asking, "Now, do you wish for me to treat your wounds?"

"I'll be fine." the other lied. She began to walk slowly in the direction of her division. She only managed a few steps before her knees caved in. Unohana was there to catch her in her arms. Once again the gentle woman cradled Soi Fon in her arms until sleep arrived.

--Date no. 3--

For the third day in a row Soi Fon found herself at an out of the way intersection of two Seireitei streets ready to meet the person who would serve as her date for the evening. After two disasters in a row she was hoping Retsu had come up with a sensible pick for her tonight. After about twenty minutes of waiting she was guessing this wasn't the case.

Just like the day before, Soi Fon had been surprised to find herself awaken in her own bed with a note from Retsu nearby. She had been even more surprised when she realized that all of her injuries from her fierce fight with Kenpachi had vanished. She suspected she had spent much of the night sleeping inside of the stomach of a giant manta ray.

By the time her waiting period had become a half hour, Soi Fon had already adopted a less than fair mood. She thought about just turning around and going back, but damnable curiosity was compelling her to at least stay and see who her date would be. When the figure of her date finally did meander into her line of sight she began to wish she _had_ left before he arrived.

"There you are my lovely Soi Fon, I'm terribly sorry for the delay but I had to stop and admire some flowers on my path," Shunsui Kyoraku said with his tried charisma and a tip of his straw hat. It hadn't even been a minute and Soi Fon felt like punching him in the face.

"What the hell was she thinking...?" the female captain sighed. She began to wonder if Retsu had any understanding of what sort of people were dateable.

"So my dear, you ready for our date to begin?" Shunsui said with a lecherous grin; unlike Jushiro who was too nice for is own good and Kenpachi who was a battle-crazed idiot, this pervert intended to try and take this as far as possible.

"Fuck off, Kyoraku," Soi Fon replied curtly as she prepared to depart from the scene.

"B-but, Soi Fon, my lovely Retsu told me you need someone to hold you, that you simply can't go on without it! She said you would accompany me for the evening," the flamboyant man said with drama in his voice. Soi Fon still felt like punching him in the face, but she supposed she could at least see where he took her, after all contrary to her initial belief, the fight with Zaraki had been quite refreshing in its own way.

"Where the hell are we going...?" Soi Fon growled bitterly, causing the man to shake himself in faux fear.

"You'll see, my dear Soi Fon," Shunsui replied with a stupid grin as he led the way. The door that he eventually opened was to an establishment that his picking would have surprised no one.

Soi Fon found herself in a dark, seedy bar filled with rowdy drunks. Shunsui led her to the bar counter where they sat next to a fairly well wasted Tetsuzaemon Iba and Ikakku Madarame.

"So, what will my Soi Fon be having to drink today?" Shunsui asked with his usual vibrance.

"Tch. I don't care. Sake, however strong they got," the woman replied somewhat hesitantly. She had never really been one for heavy drinking, typically finding other ways to drown out her despair. Tonight however, it didn't seem like too bad an idea.

"Oho, that is what I like to hear from a woman!" Shunsui said exuberantly as he called to the bartender. He proceeded to order their drinks.

Soi Fon lifted the small cup of clear liquid to her lips almost the second it was set in front of her. It tasted incredibly bitter but she drank it all in one gulp anyways. Shunsui quickly poured her more from the bottle he had ordered as conversation broke out.

"So what's the deal Kyoraku, you get tired of pursuing your lieutenant, so you decided to try and hook up with another high-strung, small-breasted bitch instead?" Tetsuzaemon said in a grizzled stupor.

"Excuse me?! Do you want me to kill your ass?!" Soi Fon shouted, giving the seventh division lieutenant a deadly glare. She was a relatively small woman so it was no surprise that the alcohol was already getting to her even if she had only had just a cup thus far.

"She'll do it man. She roughed the captain up yesterday," Ikakku said, obviously well under the influence of alcohol as well.

"Eh, I didn't mean nothin'. I'm drunk outta my mind," Tetsuzaemon admitted with a hard laugh as he threw back another cup of sake.

"My cute little Soi Fon here gets lonely sometimes, I'm just here to provide her with some companionship," Shunsui chose to actually answer Iba's original question.

"You watch out or I'll kill your ass too," Soi Fon threatened before engulfing another cup of the fermented rice beverage.

"Oh? I like em feisty..." Shunsui snickered, causing his date to glare.

"That'd really be somethin' though, wouldn't it? Two captains of the Gotei 13 in a relationship and stuff. Wonder if that's ever happened before..." Tetsuzaemon said with deliberation.

"Not since I've been around Seireitei. Can't remember it happenin' ." Ikakku replied brokenly.

"I guess it's 'cause there ain't too many girl Captains," Tetsuzaemon said with more thought than necessary.

"Yeah. Captain Unohana's been there forever, but she's a real scary lady. I can't see her ever just givin' in to some guy even if he is a captain," the bald man nodded and took another swig of sake into his mouth.

"Right. But hey, wasn't there somethin' goin' on like a hundred years ago between the old Captain of Division Two and the old Captain of Division Twelve?" Tetsuzaemon asked as he tried to recall memories through his inebriated state.

"Do you seriously want me to fuckin' kill you, Iba?!" Soi Fon threatened loudly, standing from her seat and placing a hand to her sword.

"Wha? What did I say?" the man with the sunglasses backed away nervously almost falling out of his seat in the process.

"Now, now, my Soi Fon, calm down. We're not here to start fights, just drink and be merry!" Soi Fon's date put a hand on her shoulder to placate her. Again she felt like punching him in the face. Regardless, she sat back down.

"It's his fault for proposing such an outrageous lie..." Soi Fon mumbled under her breath as she reached for her cup and greedily consumed it contents.

"I guess, if Kyoraku gets lucky tonight it'll be the first time then," Ikakku gave a drunken laugh.

"Tch, believe me, this bastard doesn't have a chance," Soi Fon chuckled in contempt.

"Oho! You wound me my dear!" Shunsui interjected vivaciously.

"Eh? So why ya datin' him then?" Tetsuzaemon raised an eyebrow.

"God, I don't even know," Soi Fon laughed cruelly as she engulfed more alcohol.

"So what sort of guy'd be ideal for you then, Captain?" Ikakku asked, curiosity evident.

"Lady Yoruichi," the second division captain, said simply, groggily. The men all shook their heads slightly at once.

"Seems, this one has about as much a chance of makin' history as Captain Unohana does," Tetsuzaemon sighed.

"Now, now, my friends, I wouldn't count me out just yet! Retsu has informed me that this one aches desperately to be loved!" the animated lay-about said with usual flair.

"Not by you, asshole," Soi Fon inserted bluntly.

"Aha, let us see, let us see," the eighth division Captain sung as he happily downed some sake.

Drunken conversation proceeded for a couple hours. Bottle after bottle of sake was added to Shunsui's tab as he and his reluctant date continued to drink. It didn't take long before Soi Fon was hopelessly plastered. She felt ill. It was as if there was some sort of warm buzzing rapidly swirling about her head. Maintaining focus for even the shortest time was becoming had.

Of course it wasn't all bad. There had been too few opportunities in Soi Fon's life to simply just let it all go. It was kind of a good feeling in it's own way. It made her worries, at least for the moment, disappear.

"Aha, my lovely Soi Fon. What do you say to accompanying me out of here?" Shunsui said as he stared long and hard at the girl next to him who was leaned forward on the bar counter next to him, completely incoherent.

Despite being beyond impaired at the moment, Soi Fon at least possessed enough sense to understand that going anywhere with Shunsui Kyoraku in her current state would be very, very bad.

"Go t' hell, Kyorkuu," Soi Fon slurred as she stood up, and prepared to make her exit, stumbling in the process.

"But, my sweet, in your condition wouldn't it be better if I were to escort you?" In her drunken state, Soi Fon couldn't tell is Shunsui was just being a pervert or he was actually concerned about her. In the end she decided she didn't care and connected her fist with his jaw, causing him to fall from his bar stool.

Slowly she stumbled out of the bar. She took three steps down the street before turning towards the wall of the bar. She fell to her knees and began to vomit uncontrollably. Just as she was ready to pass out then and there, she sensed a presence behind her. She turned to find Retsu Unohana standing over her, wearing a sad smile.

"Whadd're you doin' here?" Soi Fon asked as she fought to keep more from coming up.

"You've had a tendency of needing me after your dates this week. I thought I'd wait for you, just in case," Retsu said in her warmhearted manner. Soi Fon thrust herself from her knees and onto the woman. Retsu happily took her in her arms.

"You smell good..." Soi Fon commented in her daze as she snuggled against the other woman's chest. Retsu stroked her hair affectionately.

"I'm sorry that I'm making this so hard for you," Retsu apologized, a very somber look in her eyes.

"It's a'right. Long as it keeps endin' up with me and you like this, we can do this forever..." Soi Fon said longingly as she melted into the other woman's warmth. Sleep soon overtook her as Retsu cradled her tenderly.

A/N: Alright. There we have the second chapter. With the lemon-flavored dream at the beginning, the Unohana moments and the three dates, this chapter provides a pretty clear view of most every side of Soi Fon's personality. I thought this was a pretty cute, fun chapter. I hope it lived up to the first. It was fun trying to capture some of the Captains of the Gotei 13. As a yuri writer I don't get much opportunity to work with most of the captains, so it was nice to have an opportunity to try and write Zaraki. Anyways, I thought the Unohana scenes between the dates were cute. Unohana's really putting a lot of effort into caring for Soi Fon isn't she?

Anyways, the poll. Bleach mysteries. The highest number of you (20 out of 34) want to see more Bankai. I can't blame you, I too am desperate to see what sort of power Aizen or Urahara's bankai holds. The second thing people want to see is just shikai and shikai abilities for characters who we haven't seen in action yet. This is something I really want to see. Most of the female shinigami still have unknown abilities. i also am curious abbot the vizards' shikai. Moving to character specific mysteries the biggest questions for you guys are about Isshin's past and Kukaku's arm. Those are things I'd desperately like to know as well. I especially hope Kubo give us a little backstory on Isshin and Masaki eventually. Second to those two, people want to know about kenpachi and the mysterious "Yachiru" from his past. After than the same number of you care about learning Rangiku's measurements, whether or not Halibel has an ugly mouth, and what sort of power Tatsuki will protect Orihime with in the future (because who here _really_ cares about Mizuiro and Keigo?). Less of you are curious as to why there are unexplained children in Urahara's shop and how Komamura can be a dog person when no other beast people have ever been shown. Finally, absolutely no one cares about Chojiro, Sasakibe, probably the most mysterious Bleach character there is. He's one of the lieutenants but has done nothing significant, and unlike Marechiyo done nothing to establish a personality either. Kubo seriously has to be planning something with this guy, right? I mean he's the lieutenant of division 1. He has to be important somehow. I mean he's got a special uniform and everything.

The poll for this week has to do with pairings. No, not what yuri pair I'm tackling next, but rather het pairings and peoples preferences. Again, another pointless poll. Be glad it's not about tacos or trees though.


	3. Treatment: Dates 4 and 5

A/N: Thanks again for all the reviews. Seriously. I hope you enjoy the third chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own my own personal army of ninja... or Bleach... but I'd take either.

"Hey! Captain! You in there?!" a boorish shout near drowned in incessant, loud knocking arrested Soi Fon from a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

She stared at the door to her room maliciously, as if the oaf on the other side would be able to catch the glare. She rolled over and buried her face in her pillow. Her head was pounding just as restlessly as the fool at her door was. Her stomach was turning and her body felt weary right down to the bones.

"Captain! You all right?!" the loud voice sounded again as the knocking continued.

Soi Fon couldn't take it any more so she lifted her head from her pillow and screamed, "Damn it, Omaeda, just leave me alone!"

Her unrefined lieutenant ceased his knocking at the sound of her voice. He didn't follow the order though as he stayed to inform, "But... Captain, it's three o'clock and you told me it was important we got those papers in to the Head-Captain by noon."

Soi Fon looked up at a nearby clock to confirm this. It really was 3:00 p.m.. What the hell was wrong with her? Soon the memories of her night drinking with Shunsui Kyoraku came back to her. Just how much had she drank to end up like this? She couldn't remember. She couldn't remember much of anything that happened. How had she even got home? It was all blank in her mind. Regardless of it all, her body still didn't feel like moving.

"Well, I guess we screwed up then! Nothing we can do now!" Soi Fon delayed response came in a voice that was both condescending and angry, "Now just let me sleep." She rolled over back into her pillow.

"But Captain, I was thinking we could--" Marechiyo started in a vaguely inept voice.

"Well, stop thinking! It's not something you're good at," Soi Fon shouted callously, unquestionably irritated as she sat up on her bed. Briefly glancing at a nearby table, she noticed a small note. Reluctantly she grabbed for it.

She looked at the elegant writing on the small piece of paper. Retsu intended to have her do this thing again? And she intended for it to happen tonight at that? Soi Fon laughed. Like hell, she was going to go through one of these nightmares disguised as dates again.

Forcing every little ounce of energy she had into it, Soi Fon managed to stand from her bed. She grabbed her white haori from the floor nearby and tossed it over the rest of her robes which she still wore. Steadily, she made her way to the door. She opened it to find her lieutenant still standing there, a dumb look on his face as if he was struggling helplessly to find something intelligent to say.

"Captain!" he said as he noticed her appear in the door. "What happened to you?"

Soi Fon sighed groggily. She knew her hair was a mess, and she still smelt of the bar. She supposed she really must've not looked her best if Marechiyo Omaeda was even noticing.

"Nothing," Soi Fon answered the question with a lie, not because she cared about Marechiyo knowing, but more because it would save the trouble of actually telling him.

"You sure? You look like you're sick again or somethin'," the large man was unconvinced.

"I just had a rough night, that's all," the captain sighed irritably.

"Somethin' happen? You fight Zaraki again?" Marechiyo persisted.

"Hell no! What? You think I fight Zaraki every day now?" Soi Fon spat coldly.

"Well, what happened then?" The uncouth shinigami scratched at the inside of his nose.

"Does it really matter?"Soi Fon muttered somberly as she walked past the man.

"Guess not," Marechiyo mumbled in reply.

Soi Fon took several more steps away from where the man stood. Then she stopped and without turning around spoke, "Omaeda?"

"Yeah, Captain?" the lieutenant responded.

"Am I weak?" Soi Fon asked drearily.

"C-Captain?" Marechiyo stuttered.

"Answer me truthfully. Regardless of what you say I won't kill you because of it," the woman assured. She then repeated the question, "Am I weak, Omaeda?"

"'Course you ain't weak, Captain. You're the strongest lady I've ever known," Soi Fon's second replied confidently.

"Moron," Soi Fon insulted in an even voice as she slowly walked away.

--Date No 4--

Soi Fon didn't understand herself. Her headache wasn't gone, her body still felt weak, and yet here she was walking to meet yet another mystery date. What the hell was wrong with her? Perhaps she was some sort of masochist or something, she figured, because there was really no other logical reason why she would subject herself to such torture.

It just didn't make any sense. Retsu Unohana, as sweet and elegant as she was, obviously was so distanced from normal human understanding that she had no clue as to what type of people Soi Fon actually wouldn't mind dating. It was all rather obvious that none of this would ever work. No one would ever be able to replace Lady Yoruichi. It was all so clear in her head that this date would be nothing more than another painful waste of time, and yet for some reason she was still headed to it.

Still curiosity led her to wonder exactly which prospect-less fool would be waiting there today. She half expected to see the Head-Captain himself there. That would be a fine joke. Whoever it was, he would surely make her miserable for the evening. It wouldn't be hard. She was already miserable.

When she finally did arrive at the familiar intersection, she was shocked by who was waiting there. But it was a good sort of shock. This person was different then the previous dates. This person wasn't a Captain. This person wasn't even a man.

A small but definite smile crept onto Soi Fon's face as she wondered if perhaps Retsu might be having a turn around when it came to picking dates. The girl standing there was undeniably beautiful even if she did look unquestionably sad. If Retsu was changing to females and lieutenants for her picks, this one was maybe an odd choice, but then again her power of persuasion was likely more limited for requesting such a thing. Eleventh Division Lieutenant Nemu Kurotsuchi would make a largely enjoyable date she was sure.

"Hey, Lieu--Nemu," Soi Fon greeted the other, finding it more natural to address the attractive girl informally. She went on to question as to whether Nemu's purpose there was what she hoped it was, "You're waiting for me, right?"

"Yes, I am," Nemu nodded as she spoke in her usual kind but dejected demeanor.

"Great," Soi Fon found a smile, "I know it might have seemed weird being asked to do so, but, thank you for agreeing to meet with me like this, Nemu."

"That is unneeded. There was no way I could have refused," Nemu said without expression.

"Is that so?" Soi Fon was impressed. She had to wonder just how much power Retsu commanded over everyone else.

"Of course," Nemu replied blankly.

"O-okay... so where do you want to take me, Nemu?" Soi Fon asked, wondering if a date with Nemu might be slightly unnerving.

"I will lead you there," the artificially created girl gave a soft spoken response.

"Very well," Soi Fon said, evening her expression, choosing to remain optimistic.

Nemu walked past her immediately as a brisk pace. Soi Fon turned to follow behind. She was surprised at how much distance nemu kept between them. Whenever she tried to close the gap, Nemu increased her pace just enough to keep it steady. For a date, her partner really wasn't being very romantic. Then again, it wouldn't surprise Soi Fon if Nemu Kurotsuchi was completely foreign to the idea of romance.

But she had to look on the bright side, Retsu had picked a better partner. This one wasn't miserable, insane or perverted. Nemu was also beautiful Soi Fon was beginning to suspect that maybe she did have a preference for girls. Then again, she had just come off of three lousy dates and had never in her life had a working relationship with a man aside from that with her brothers in her youth and with idiot subordinates like Marechiyo.

"In here," Nemu spoke suddenly as she pointed to a door. Soi Fon, who had been too busy watching Nemu walk to pay attention to where they were going, had no idea where she was.

Soi Fon followed the solemn girl into the mysterious building. It was a somewhat dreary, run-down looking building full of strange and broken scientific equipment. It certainly didn't look like any place Soi Fon would've wanted to go on a date.

"Are you sure this is where you wanted to take me, Nemu?" Soi Fon asked unsteadily, as they began to descend some stairs toward a basement. She could hear the faint sounds of inhuman cries.

"Yes," Nemu replied simply, as emotionless as always.

"A-all right..." Soi Fon shrugged as they reached a door at the end of their descent. The sounds of shrieking a wailing could be heard coming loud from the other side of the door. As Nemu opened the door, Soi Fon was forced to close both her eyes and her ears at the intensity of the screams.

"Finally. You really are a worthless girl. I send you on a trivial errand and yet you can't even accomplish it in the time I've allotted you," Soi Fon opened her eyes to find, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the deranged captain of squad 12, scolding Nemu over the shrieking.

It was at this moment that Soi Fon realized Retsu Unohana's date-picking ability hadn't gotten better; it had gotten much, much worse.

"I apologize, master. The target was exactly three minutes and forty-seven seconds late to the rendezvous point, " Nemu responded matter-of-factly.

"It matters not what pathetic excuse you have to provide. Being without a disposable assistant brings my research to a crashing halt," the cruel man retorted.

"I understand, Master Mayuri," Nemu replied softly.

Mayuri's eyes narrowed. He placed a resounding slap on her cheek, before saying coldly, "You understand? Ha! If you understand, why haven't you gotten back to work you worthless fool? The experimental poison vials over there are not going to ingest themselves."

Soi Fon followed the monstrous man's finger as it pointed, to find a collection of roughly six small bottles of oddly colored liquids. She looked at Nemu, who's face was now swollen. The whole scene, combined with her headache and the incessant screams of something, Soi Fon had no idea what and didn't particularly care to find out, strapped to a bed under a sheet in the center of the room were causing her anger to surge.

"Kurotsuchi, what the hell is going on here?!" Soi Fon shouted, feeling an intense desire to somehow mutilate the man.

"Oh, right, you," Mayuri said as he turned toward his fellow Captain, seemingly as if he had forgotten her presence entirely, "I have no intention of babysitting you or any such thing; I only agreed to Captain Unohana's demands to satiate my own curiosity on the matter."

"What the fuck are you saying?!" Soi Fon growled hostilely.

"My, you have quite the nasty temper, don't you, Captain?" Mayuri smirked.

"What do you want, KurotsuchI?!" fed up with it all, Soi Fon continued to shout.

"What do I want? But isn't this all about what you want? Isn't Captain Unohana trying to satisfy some pathetic childish desire for attention and affection in you?" Mayuri gave a remorseless laugh.

Soi Fon was fuming. She didn't take lightly to being insulted and ridiculed, especially by an exceedingly vile man while she suffered through a splitting headache. A hand went to Suzumebachi. Just as she was about to draw her sword, its path was obstructed by Nemu, who had rushed from the other side of the room, still holding a vial of poison. Soi Fon withdrew her hand from the sword's handle.

The ruthless Captain frowned as he pushed his lieutenant to the floor, she struggled to keep from spilling the contents of the vial she held. "What do you think you are doing you insolent wretch? Why haven't you drank that yet?!" he shouted.

Nemu returned to her feet, brushing herself off. She spoke in a reserved, melancholic fashion, "I apologize, Master. But the other five poisons have left me weak, and judging by the chemical makeup of this one, even with my tolerances its potency could very well be life threaten--"

Nemu was cut off as her cruel creator grabbed her violently by the jaw, forced her mouth open and the vial from her hands. He quickly poured the contents down the poor woman's throat, causing her to cough repeatedly. In seconds she fell limply to the floor.

"You monster! How could you?! You killed her!" Soi Fon was mortified.

"What?! Do you man to insult my craftsmanship? Those poisons each may have been strong enough to kill a lesser shinigami, and the last may had the potency needed to down a Captain, but if this sorry doll I built has one useful quality it's resilience," Mayuri said angrily.

"Look at her! She's not even breathing!" Soi Fon shouted, kneeling next to he lifeless girl.

"Of course she's not; that poison works by shutting down certain body functions including the respiratory system. It's really a most ingenious mixture," Mayuri said pridefully as he looked down at his lieutenant in contempt.

"You..." Soi Fon growled as she put her hand to Suzumebachi once more, preparing to unsheathe it.

"Well, if you're going to get so emotional over a broken toy, you might as well retrieve the vial of red liquid from the counter over there," Mayuri sighed callously, Soi Fon's deadly look not intimidating him in the least.

"Why should I?!" the second division captain shouted, not about to do anything Mayuri told her to.

"Why? Because it would save me the trouble of having to make a new one of these," Mayuri replied pointing at Nemu. Suddenly Soi Fon understood what the red liquid was.

Using her top speed, not wasting a single second, she moved from one side of the room to the other, grabbed the indicated bottle and proceeded swiftly back to Nemu's limp form.

"Do I put it in her mouth?" Soi Fon asked in a hurried voice.

"Do you put it into her mouth?" Mayuri said belittling as if it was unbelievably obvious. "What an ignorant woman you are. No, you don't use the mouth. You pour the entire vial into her genitals," The inanely, infuriatingly sarcastic way Mayuri said this made Soi Fon certain it was a sick attempt at a joke. She didn't find any humor in it. She let Nemu drink the red liquid.

The beautiful lieutenant began to breathe and soon began to cough. Soi Fon sighed in relief as Mayuri turned back toward the screeching thing under the blanket.

"What do you wish for me to do now, Master Mayuri?"Nemu stood and asked as if nothing had happened. Soi Fon shook her head in pity.

"There should be a second vial of that last poison on the counter over there. Experimentally determine what quantities are needed to kill it." Mayuri ordered. Nemu nodded and ran forth to her task.

"You are a sick man, Kurotsuchi," Soi Fon growled as she turned back toward the Captain.

"Save your qualms on morality, Captain. I really don't care what you think of me," the freakishly dressed man asserted in a low grumble.

"Why did you even agree to try and help me then?" Soi Fon spat bitterly.

"You misunderstand, I don't particularly care as to your struggle to your condition, rather I just thought, that given your mental dysfunction, it would be a good opportunity to conduct some research," Mayuri gave a firm nod.

"You think I'm going to let you even touch me?!" Soi Fon shouted, disgusted by the idea.

"I don't see why not. By experimenting on your brain I could very well, cure this childish disorder," Mayuri replied assuredly.

"I'd rather die than have you screw around with my brain!" Soi Fon declared angrily.

"Is that so?With all the time felines have spent rolling around up there, I'm sure your brain is too clogged with cat hair to be ay use as a test subject anyway," Mayuri said as if he were purposely provoking the woman.

Soi Fon gritted her teeth as her temper flared. She thought about delivering the man a swift slash with Suzumebachi right then, but she remembered the fiercely loyal Nemu was nearby holding a vial of frighteningly lethal poison. She opted to take a more peaceful way out of this.

"Excuse me, but I'm leaving," She said as she turned back toward the door. She walked out of it and proceeded up the long flight of stares. Halfway up the shrill cries of Mayuri's mystery experimental subject suddenly stopped. With the pain in her ears gone Soi Fon became once more cognizant of her headache. It had to be twenty times worse.

Quickly she made it out of the building, one of the many laboratories belonging to division 12. She was furious and in pain. She felt like killing something. Part of her prayed Aizen would decide and assault Seireitei with an army of hollows right then and there. Failing that she just hoped Kenpachi Zaraki would pop up out of the bushes and challenge her to a fight again. Instead of hollows or a battle-mad shinigami, someone else appeared in Soi Fon's path to act as a target to her rage.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" she shouted at fist sight of Retsu Unohana.

"Captain Soi Fon? Your date didn't go very well, did it?" Retsu asked calmly.

"What the fuck do you think?! How could anything go well with a vile monster like that!" Soi Fon continued to shout, the woman's warmth and kindness not getting to her as usual.

"Captain Kurotsuchi is a very intelligent man; I thought that maybe you could take something from him," Captain Unohana replied softly, sadly.

"Tch, yeah I really got a lot from him. A terrible blood-lust and an excruciating headache," the smaller woman snorted miserably.

"I'm sorry. If you require it, I can maybe help ease you of those symptoms," Retsu said sweetly, her arms slightly opened invitingly.

"I've had enough of your help. It hasn't done me a bit of good," Soi Fon coldly stated as she walked past the other woman quickly.

"But, Captain Soi Fon, what about your condition?" Retsu asked, still pleasantly, but with perhaps a sadder look in her eyes.

"I don't care!" the younger Captain said powerfully," I don't care if it continues to decline. I don't care if this damn broken heart eventually kills me. It's not worth all this."

Soi Fon had had had enough. She was prepared to storm off back home; get as far away from this woman as possible.

"I'm sorry, I've hurt you, it was never my intention. I want to help, you Captain Soi Fon. That's still all I want," Retsu's deeply soothing voice, stopped Soi Fon in her place. As weary and angry as she was some part of her wanted to stay and listen to what the woman said.

"I don't know how much of your help I can survive," she replied sadly, vulnerably.

"I promise tomorrow's date will be better," Retsu said softly.

"If there is another date making it better than todays isn't exactly much of a promise," Soi Fon narrowed her eyes.

"It will be someone you can get along with and talk to someone. Someone who will bring no angry feelings or pain," Retsu smiled as she said this. Soi Fon wanted desperately to believe her.

"Hmmph." Soi Fon didn't even reply to the words. She was too conflicted, too upset, and too upset about everything. She ran off back towards her home in the Second Division

Returning to her bedroom and eventually her bed, Soi Fon found she could not sleep. Maybe it was a result of her having woken up so late that morning or maybe her still present headache was at fault. Soi Fon thought this, but she knew these were only contributing factors. Something was missing.

A gentle warmth she had become accustomed to just wasn't there that night. Her bed felt empty, cold. Her heart somehow felt the same. It ached almost the same way it had when she had fist learned of Lady Yoruichi's departure. She couldn't sleep like this.

So she rolled around incessantly in her bed sheets, sweating and thinking. The thoughts wouldn't leave her brain. Marechiyo thought she was strong, but that couldn't be further from the truth. She was on the same level of weakness as Nemu Kurotsuchi. She was certain that if Lady Yoruichi had commanded her to drink a vial of deadly poison, she wouldn't have even hesitated.

She was truly pathetic. A worthless creature who couldn't even live without childishly latching on to someone else. Maybe Kurotsuchi was right, maybe her brain was defective. Maybe having the sadistic man cut open her brain would do her some good. Anything was better than the current pain. Anything was better than being so low as to verbally assault someone who was so sweetly looking out for her.

Sleep didn't come until the dead of night, and when it did it was a short fragile sleep at best.

--Date No. 5--

When Soi Fon awoke early the next morning she felt sad, nervous, regretful, and many other shades of emotion. For change she also felt optimistic. She didn't exactly know why, but she decided early on she was going to go through with the date. She would travel to the usual location at the usual time and wait to see if anyone would arrive. She half expected it would end as a waste of her time as she had never given Retsu a definitive response. Still something compelled her to leave for that intersection that evening.

As she walked down the streets of Seireitei, staring up at the cloud covered sky she began t once again wonder who, if anyone, would be waiting there. Perhaps the handsome nobleman, Captain Kuchiki of the sixth division, or maybe it'd be the earnest and resolute Captain Hitsugaya of the tenth. Maybe it really would be a cute female lieutenant this time so she was beginning to doubt such a thing would happen unless she explicitly asked for it.

Of course when Soi Fon's date did arrive in her view, and he, with his size, did rather quickly. She got something far from anything she had expected. Her mouth hung open and her eyes went wide at the sight of the animalistic Captain, Sajin Komamura of the seventh division. The better partner Retsu had promised her, wasn't even fully human. She thought about turning around then and there, and saving Sajin and herself the trouble of an evening, but she noticed his eyes come to a focus on her and she had no intention to be rude. She approached him reluctantly.

"Good evening, Captain Soi Fon. Are you well today?" Sajin greeted her cordially, a stern yet somehow inviting look on his canine face.

"Well, Captain Komamura. Yourself?" Soi Fon returned, a small smile in the corner of her lip.

"I am," Komamura answered her in a gruff serious voice, "I am always willing to aid my fellow captains when they fall on troubled times, especially at the request of a soul as kind as Captain Unohana."

"Thank you. It's appreciated," the woman replied, deciding that Retsu's assessment of this man might have been correct after all.

"It's no trouble," Sajin assured her. He asked, "Now where is it you wish to head for the evening?

Soi Fon was surprised at the question. She honestly didn't have anywhere interesting she wanted to go. "I'll let you pick," she said.

"Hmm, I hope you don't mind. I really have no place so amusing to spend an evening," Sajin informed her in a pensive voice.

"Wherever is fine," Soi Fon was now the one doing the assuring.

"Then we shall head for a spot i find relaxing," the large man said reflectively as he turned completely around and took a step forward. Soi Fon followed him closely.

After walking for a while, eventually approaching the very ends of Seireitei, the two of them came upon an open, wooded area with several trees and a large hill. Sajin walked slowly up the hill and took a seat at its side. Soi Fon followed him cautiously.

"This is nice," Soi Fon said as she sat down, "Lady Yoruichi used to take me to scenic areas like this. It's been a while since I've had time for such things."

"A setting like this is ideal for calming a frustrated mind," Sajin growled in a low voice.

"I that case I really should have found the time. Might have spared me all this whole mess," the woman sighed deeply as she stared out into the trees.

"The pain of betrayal is not something that can be forgot simply by staring from a grassy hill at a cloudy evening sky," Sajin uttered melancholically.

"You're talking about Captain Tosen, aren't you?" Soi Fon murmured.

"I can understand this affliction of yours that Captain Unohana informed me about," Sajin contemplatively said.

"You think so?" Soi fon gave a self-spiting laugh, "as I see it, yours is a lot worse than mine. Lady Yoruichi may have left me behind but it was only out of necessity. Your good friend never truly was the man you thought. The only reason that they would even seem equal is that you're strong and I'm weak."

"I disagree. The fact that it was a simple matter of necessity rather than a misguided choice is what surely makes your path to bear," Captain Komamura sad in a confident voice, "that you have endured it this long proves you are a lot stronger than you claim."

"Y-yeah?" Soi Fon said hesitantly. She didn't want to listen to such words.

"When you are betrayed it leads to darkness. My path leads to violence and destruction. Understanding the truth as it is, your path can only lead to despair and desolation unless you find peace with it and yourself," the canine man muttered with a certain fire in his eyes.

"Is that so? Come to terms with myself? And here I thought what I was doing was trying to find a replacement for her," the female captain smirked.

"Replacing one that one was once devoted to is a much too daunting task to ask of any," Sajin said introspectively, "the Head-Captain has given me everything. If he were to disappear from my life I'm sure I would lose purpose as well."

"What would you do then?" Soi Fon inquired; the dog-like Captain closed his eyes and began to reflect for a while.

Eventually Sajin spoke in a deeply solemn voice, "There is only one path I could follow. I would haven no choice but to learn to accept my loss and seek out a new purpose."

Soi Fon mused over the other's words for a minute. It was really the same as what Retsu wanted of her. This wasn't about replacing Lady Yoruichi, it was about finding the strength in her self to accept what had happened and finally move forward with someone else. For the first time since this dating idea had been brought up to her, Soi Fon felt like she wasn't wasting her time, like this is what she needed to be doing.

"I see." Soi Fon said finally, "Captain Unohana is certainly a smart woman."

"Very," Sajin nodded firmly, giving just the slighted laugh.

The conversation proceeded a while longer. It was for the most part enjoyable. Despite his appearance, Soi Fon had met few others so reasonable. Of course, as admirable and interesting as Sajin was, the simple fact remained that he had a dog head. This one detail effectively killed the possibility of Soi Fon wanting to take this one beyond the first date either. She still enjoyed the discussion greatly.

"It's getting late. We should probably head back," Soi Fon suggested; the sky was pitch black now, save fro the bright stars.

"Go on ahead. There is another place I wish to visit myself before I head back," the large captain gravely said.

"All right. Thank you for everything, Captain Komamura," Soi Fon said softly as she got to her feet.

"It was no problem,"Sajin assured. The woman nodded as she began the long walk home.

She wasn't even halfway back to the Second Division when she caught a familiar figure in her path. This time she had been expecting it. She hurried to close the gap between herself ad the gentle healer, Retsu Unohana.

"I apologize Captain Unohana, the things I told you yesterday were completely out of hand," Soi Fon said in a stiffly serious fashion, with a hard bow.

"I was not so upset by it, Captain Soi Fon. You have no need to be repentant," Retsu smiled her kindly smile. Soi Fon felt even more ashamed that the previous day she had been so rude with such a woman.

"Still, as an adult woman, such a child-like tantrum is completely inappropriate," Soi Fon insisted, shaking her head.

"When one is in pain she tends to lose control of her feelings. It was not something that could be helped," Retsu warmly smiled as she spoke in clear understanding.

"Thank you..." Soi Fon mumbled softly.

"Did your date go well?" Retsu questioned, her elegant beauty shining as always about her face.

"Yes, I got a lot out of it. There was really a lot for us to discuss." Soi Fon's slight smile evened a bit. "But, despite that, I can't see him as a long term solution."

"Oh? And why's that?" Retsu shot her a puzzled expression.

Soi Fon grimaced as she thought over how to convey her thoughts without sounding too rude. She said deliberately while blushing slightly, "He's not exactly... you know... the right _species_,"

"Oh? So Captain Soi Fon doesn't like dogs?" Retsu gave a brisk laugh.

"I'm really more of a cat person," Soi Fon both laughed and sighed at the same time.

"I see," Retsu suddenly seemed serious for some reason. She continued, "I understand. I suppose all my efforts have really been wasted."

Soi Fon's expression intensified at this claim; she insisted "That's not true. You're helping me! It will work eventually, I know it will."

"Maybe, but what I meant is that the partners I have been picking have been all wrong for you," Retsu seemed almost remorseful as she spoke.

"Well, yeah...I guess..." Soi Fon raised an eyebrow. Retsu's choices should have obviously been bad ones. Why was the healer just noticing now all of a sudden?

"Captain Shihoin was a woman and yet all the dates I've had for you have been men," Retsu started. "If the one you were in love with before was one thing, why should the one you love be any different?"

These words left Soi Fon speechless, her mouth open. She hadn't expected Retsu to just suddenly have this epiphany. She supposed that all she could do was be happy it did occur. A few dates with girls actually sounded nice.

"So, tomorrow I shall set you on a date with another woman if you wish," Retsu smiled benevolently.

"I'd like that," Soi Fon admitted with a full blush.

"Then it shall happen."

"But, Captain Unohana, wont it be difficult for even you to persuade a woman to go on a date with me?" Soi Fon asked, softy.

"The one I have in mind has usually listened to me in the past. I doubt there will be any trouble convincing her," Retsu's sweet smile remained wonderfully full.

"I look forward to it," Soi Fon smiled back radiantly.

"I'm glad," the other all but whispered as the two proceeded to part ways and walk in opposite direction.

That night, sleep hit immediately for Soi Fon.

A/N: There we have chapter 3. It was a fun write. Soi Fon going on "dates" with my two favorite male captains (yes I know I have odd favorite characters). Mayuri is just so twisted and demented that he was fun to work with. With Komamura I only got to really capture his more solemn reflective side, but I thought that was enough to work with for the scene. What else... Oh yeah, decided to give Marechiyo a bit part in the beginning of the chapter. Figured I should have some interaction between him and his captain. Writing Nemu is really sad. Makes me wonder what it will be like when I finally write a full length Nemu fic. Anyway tell me what you thought.

As for my poll of my readers favorite Bleach het pairings, the results were interesting. It's not really interesting that Ichigo X Rukia handily won the contest with 18 of 30 votes, but it is surprising when you consider that Ichigo X Orihime, a pairing that usually follows it closely, only managed six votes. This along with the fact that none of the other Orihime pairings did well, including the typically popular Uryu X Orihime (only managed 3 votes), leads me to believe that my readers are pretty set on Orihime being with a girl. Uryu X Nemu came in as the number two pairing with 12 votes, honestly a little bit to my surprise. Zaraki X Unohana, a fan pairing of characters difficult to pair, and the other option (which makes me wonder what major pairings I overlooked) both tied in third with 10 votes. Other surprising bits of my poll include the fact that more of my readers like Momo with Aizen (7) than they do with Hitsugaya (4). That and just as many people like Hitsugaya X Karin as do like Hitsugaya X Rangiku (both 7).

I couldn't think of a damn thing creative to ask you this week, so you're stuck with a ridiculously predictable question. Of the typically seen Bleach yuri pairings, what are your favorites? I'm mostly aiming just to see what insane percentage Yoruichi X Soi Fon will get.


	4. Treatment: Date 6

A/N: Sorry for the delay. Hope you continue to enjoy the story.

Disclaimer: This story may be unexpectedly popular, but that does not change the fact that I do not own Bleach.

Soi Fon smiled as she walked down the street. It had been another night through which she had not been tormented by dreams. She had been allowed a peaceful sleep. For the first time in what seemed like forever she felt refreshed and invigorated rather than weary or feverish. She was prepared for whatever the evening would hold.

A serene expression stayed on her face as she questioned just that. This would be her sixth date scheduled by Retsu Unohana, but it was the first she was actually looking forward to. This would be her first time out with another woman. Despite having always told herself that she didn't fall in love with Lady Yoruichi because she was a woman but rather because she was Lady Yoruichi, after five disastrous or pointless dates with men she was beginning to think maybe in truth, she had really always just been a lesbian after all. Then again maybe those five had just been piss-poor examples of men in the first place.

Regardless of her sexuality, a subject that honestly didn't interest Soi Fon very much, the idea of going on a date with another woman was surprisingly exciting. As she deliberately paced down the street she ruminated on who might be waiting at that intersection today.

Unohana would obviously still be keeping Soi Fon's consideration of rank in mind, so she doubted she'd get anyone lower than lieutenant in rank. She didn't mind this though; of all the female lieutenants there wasn't a bad pick. They all had their definite draws, still Soi Fon couldn't help but be preoccupied with the thought of which would be waiting for her.

Nanao Ise of the Eighth Division was as serious and driven as Soi Fon herself was; she had an elegant beauty and a strong mind and had always been interesting to talk with. Rangiku Matsumoto of the Tenth Division was a different story, she was lazy and incorrigible, but stronger than she seemed; of course the real draw of that woman was in her flawless curves. Part of Soi Fon hoped this time her date would actually be Nemu Kurotsuchi. With the "date" of two days past still fresh in her mind, the idea of doing her part to free that sad girl from that vile man's tyranny was definitely appealing to her.

Of course, the more Soi Fon thought about it, the more only one possibility made sense. She remembered Retsu's words, _"__The one I have in mind has usually listened to me in the past," _and became certain of the fact that her date for the evening would be Isane Kotetsu, lieutenant of the fourth Division. Retsu's loyal second would be the Second Division Captain's date for the evening.

Soi Fon far from hated this idea. Isane was beautiful, dedicated, sharp, and sweet. All in all, she was probably the best all around pick of all four available female lieutenants. Knowing it would be Isane just made Soi Fon's smile fuller as she picked up the pace of her walk.

However, when the intersection came into view and there was no tranquil, alluring white-haired girl standing there, Soi Fon's feet came to an abrupt stop as she was overcome with shock. The shock wasn't due to her being wrong, no if Nanao, Nemu, or Rangiku had been thee instead of Isane she'd have moved ahead normally, and not even have thought twice about it. No, Soi Fon was shocked, because, standing there was someone she had never even considered.

Retsu Unohana smiled benignly as she stared forward placidly at Soi Fon. The mortified expression not leaving her face, the younger Captain approached the woman cautiously.

"So, umm... Where's my date?" Soi Fon asked in a low tone as she looked around, trying to spy if Isane maybe was waiting in some dark corner to be introduced.

"That's a silly question, Captain Soi Fon, she's right in front of you," Retsu said softly; for some reason Soi Fon felt like her heart had stopped.

"B-but c-captain Unohana, you can't be my date..." Soi Fon was blushing for some reason. Something about the whole situation just felt weird to her.

"I can't? And here I thought I was the only one who could..." the other Captain responded with a slightly downcast expression, as if she were questioning the other.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Captain Soi Fon is only dating other Captains but wants another woman, and I just happen to be the only other female Captain," Retsu wore a smile as she spoke, but it was slightly more devious than the typical one. The younger captain felt herself become somewhat scared.

"But you misunderstood, I never said it just had to be Captains, I'd be fine with dating one of the lieutenants... or something..." Soi Fon insisted, shaking her head back and forth.

"Oh? But that wouldn't work. Captain Soi Fon needs someone she can devote herself to, someone she can look up to and adore. It'll never work if it's someone who is lower ranked and doesn't have her full respect," Retsu spoke in a very tranquil, methodical fashion. Soi Fon found it hard not to accept her words.

"You really think so?" she asked, a nervous smile on her lips.

"That's my diagnosis," Retsu replied lucidly.

Soi Fon shook her head again. This was just odd. Retsu Unohana was supposed to be the caring figure that helped her find the path to new love, she wasn't supposed to be a potential love herself. She was supposed to somehow always be there to make things better when the date went poorly, not be the date herself. This was all too strange.

"B-but I can't date you..." Soi Fon said with zero conviction, unsure of just about everything.

"You showed little hesitation following Captain Kyoraku and Captain Komamura out, but I'm unacceptable?" Retsu gave a sad, puzzled frown.

"No, that's not it," Soi Fon said at once, not wanting to see the look of hurt on the other woman's face. She didn't know why this whole situation intimidated her so much. "It's just that I..." she struggled to come up with any reason for her behavior, "I-I've never known Captain Unohana to be interested in romance."

"Do you think my heart is somehow different from everyone else, that it contains no desire for intimate love?" Retsu sighed languidly. The accompanying look in her eyes made Soi Fon shiver in fear.

"N-no that's not it at all," Soi Fon said nervously, shaking her head yet again. " I just... As long as I've known you, Captain Unohana... I've never seen you romantically involved with anyone or even expressing any interest in anyone."

"I suppose you are observant, Captain Soi Fon, I am seldom made the target of romantic yearnings, and I seldom have time to establish my own, but that doesn't mean I have no interest in the subject," the healer said in a somewhat melancholic voice.

These words made Soi Fon's mind race again. Could Retsu really be the same as her? Could her long life have been plagued by insufferable loneliness as well? It made a deal of sense; here was a woman who was easily more intimidating than Captain Komamura, Captain Kurotsuchi, and Captain Zaraki put together. Who would ever see someone like that as a potential love? The more she thought about it the more Soi Fon realized, she was really being a jerk.

"I apologize, Captain Unohana. What I said was out of hand. I would be both happy and grateful in accepting your offer for a date," Soi Fon said, becoming all of a sudden stern, serious and dutiful. Retsu giggled softly.

"Cute..." Retsu said softly before laughing politely a second time. Soi Fon's face quickly contorted from serious, to mortified embarrassment in a matter of seconds.

"All right... ummm... let's just go..." Soi Fon said between her teeth, her cheeks completely red.

"If that is your wish," Retsu said softly before beginning to walk down the street. Soi Fon stayed close.

The younger Captain tried her best to regain her cool as they walked. She wanted to clear her mind and just take this as openly as any of the other encounters. For some reason she found herself failing. Retsu made her nervous, anxious, and any number of other things none of the others had. It was as if it was a completely different experience.

"So... um... Where are we going, Captain Unohana?" Soi Fon asked, finding she was more at ease when things weren't silent.

"Oh? Nowhere..." Retsu said in a delicate voice as her eyes met those of the girl next to her.

Soi Fon found herself entranced, unable to look away from the woman's gentle blue eyes. She literally forced words out to break the awkwardness, "What do you mean nowhere? Where are you taking me?"

Retsu gave another one of her light laughs before answering the questions in a warm voice, "I'm not taking you anywhere, Captain Soi Fon. I thought we would just take a long walk and enjoy the beauty of Seireitei." The woman's lips then formed an inviting smile as she asked, "Is that fine with you?"

"O-of course! That sounds wonderful," Soi Fon couldn't believe the words that escaped her mouth. Not only were they delivered rushed, nervous, weak and exceedingly feminine in tone, but they were also an outright lie. A long evening walk with Retsu Unohana wasn't "fine" with her; just the thought of it was unnerving as all hell.

"That's nice," Retsu said with another smile.

Things went silent again, and again Soi Fon felt apprehensive. She began to ask herself what was wrong with this for the millionth time. Retsu Unohana just made her feel so weak and malleable, like some sort of rubbery clay to be molded by the woman's able hands. Whenever Retsu told Soi Fon something about herself it was always something even she didn't realize. It was hard to be at ease around a person like her.

But that night was a date, not a clinical diagnosis. It was supposed to be as much about Soi Fon and her problems as it was about Retsu and hers. She decided she'd just have to stay on top of things; she'd force the conversation to be about Retsu rather than herself. Then she'd have nothing to be worried about.

"So, Captain Unohana, I was wondering if..." Soi Fon started, she found all decent questions eluding her.

"You know, Captain Soi Fon, that doesn't quite sound right," Retsu said with her own thought-absorbed expression as the other contemplate what to ask.

"What are you saying?" Soi Fon's brow furrowed with perplexity.

"I mean, if we are to be each others dates, don't you think it sounds somewhat odd to address me so formally, Captain Soi Fon?" Soi Fon remained baffled. Why was she bringing this up now? Was this woman purposely trying to throw her off and mess with her? Was there some sort of devious game behind that compassionate smile?

"I suppose... you're right..." Soi Fon said, shooting the other a wary glare.

"Good, in that case, for the rest for the evening try calling me 'Retsu'," Captain Unohana suggested with a smile. Soi Fon could feel her heart stop at the thought of doing something so unthinkable as addressing the daunting Captain of the fourth Division on familiar terms. If this was indeed a game, she was sure to lose.

"I-I, could never think of referring to you in such a way..." Soi Fon said blushing, memories flashing through her mind. For once she couldn't "see" Lady Yoruichi, but only hear her words as she asked the same thing of her long ago.

"No? Then perhaps you wouldn't mind calling me 'Lady Retsu' instead," Retsu said as serenely as ever. Soi Fon let out an audible gasp.

"'Retsu' it is!" Soi Fon blurted out like an idiot, nervously blushing.

"Okay. And I shall call you, 'Soi Fon'." Retsu said placidly.

"Y-you will?" Soi Fon gave an exceedingly uneasy snicker. In the entirety of her life in Seireitei, she had neither seen nor heard of anyone else seeing Retsu Unohana address anyone without some sort of title attached to their name.

"Of course, Soi Fon, familiarity will make it much easier for us to form a truly intimate relationship," Retsu said, again with a pleasant look in her eyes; again Soi Fon's jaw dropped.

"What are you talking about, Captain Unohana? Intimate relationship, I thought this was just a trial date like all the others," Soi Fon replied with immediacy, obviously taken aback.

"Soi Fon?" was all the elegant woman said as she shot Soi Fon a questioning stare.

Soi Fon stared back at her blindly for a moment wondering why the woman wasn't answering. Eventually her "mistake" hit her. "I-I mean Retsu."

Retsu smiled at the sound of her name on the others lips, "That's better."

Soi Fon immediately blushed. She found the question infinitely harder to ask this time, "What did you mean by us forming an intimate relationship? Isn't it too early for that sort of talk, R-Retsu?"

"Perhaps, but you should really hope it turns out well, Soi Fon. At this point, I'm really the only option that could work for you." Soi Fon had to wonder how such soft-spoken words could cause her body to quake uncontrollably.

"Because there aren't any other female captains, right?" Soi Fon said, trying to rationalize the words so she didn't have to think about them.

"Correct. Currently I am your only hope for happiness."

Soi Fon didn't have a clue what to say to this. She didn't say anything. She just continued to walk forward, staring out as the setting sun reflected off the walls lining the Seireitei streets. She felt so vulnerable. She might have, at that moment, felt even more weak and helpless than Lady Yoruichi had made her feel so many years previously.

She shook her head furiously trying to make those thoughts scatter. The previous night she had decided that she would try to be strong and get over the past, but the thought of someone other than lady Yoruichi making her feel this way scared her.

She didn't know what to do. She looked at the woman next to her. Retsu wore a calm, almost carefree look on her beautiful face. Soi Fon had to wonder how this other could be so strong. How she could show no fear or apprehension at taking as big a step in her life as initiating a romance. She decided she'd attempt her strategy of putting the conversation on the other once more.

"Have you ever been in love before, Retsu?" Soi Fon asked in a deliberate voice as she looked up at the tranquil sky.

"I've had a long life, Soi Fon, and I haven't always commanded the respect I do now. There have of course been moments of happiness along the way, though they seldom lasted long," Retsu spoke somewhat somberly, closing her eyes and taking a reflective expression.

"I can't understand how anyone could ever break your heart, Retsu," Soi Fon said in a gradual fashion.

"It's an unreasonable thing to expect two individuals to stay in each other's hearts forever, especially when love is not the only thing that defines us in this world," the healer replied as softly as ever. Soi Fon knew that even though the focus on Retsu this was still at leas partly abut her.

"I know. But just because it's inevitable, doesn't mean it's painless..." she sighed morosely in response.

"Of course not. If there were no pain when a bond broke then it would not be a powerful bond in the first place."

Soi Fon didn't respond to these word immediately. She just stared at the beautiful woman in front of her, slowly realizing what sort of solution she could be. After a peaceful moment, she spoke in a crisp voice, the words clearly meant,

"I loved Lady Yoruichi with all my heart. That's over now. It's past the time I stop dwelling on it and move on. The pain from one broken bond should not suspend my happiness forever."

"Words like that prove your strength, Soi Fon," the other replied. Like everything Retsu told her, Soi Fon believed it.

"What about you, Retsu? Are you ready to move on as well?" the younger Captain asked, an earnest look in her eyes.

"I've never had someone quite as special to me as Captain Shihoin was to you," Retsu replied evenly.

"That's not what I'm asking," Soi fon shook her head softly.

"You wonder if I'm ready to form a bond that strong with another?" Retsu read her date's concerns perfectly.

"Yeah..."

"Love is not a foreign emotion to me, Soi Fon. In fact it is the very emotion that drives me, defines me. Even if my job, my status, my rank, and any number of other things have gotten in the way of others receiving my love in an intimate fashion, that doesn't mean that there is no love for me to give in such a fashion," Retsu's voice sounded so pure that it left Soi Fon feeling warm.

"But why me, Retsu? Why are you interested in loving me? Is it just out of convenience since we're both Captains?" Soi Fon posed more questions to the woman, a vulnerable expression on her face.

"I would hope it's not just that, Soi Fon." Retsu gave a soft laugh and a smile, "The truth is, for the longest time, you've fascinated me."

"I have?" Soi Fon was taken aback by this claim.

"It started one-hundred years ago, after Captain Shihoin broke your heart and you ended up in my care for the first time. It touched me to see someone so pure and devotional. I have been watching you ever since then," Retsu explained. Soi Fon looked at her skeptically.

"That's sort of difficult to believe. You mean to say you've been in love with me for one-hundred years?" Soi Fon said in a low growled voice.

"Of course not. I've just been watching you that long. Through all your descent into despair, loneliness and anger, I never once thought of the beautiful solution of filling the gaping hole in your heart myself. Not until you ended up in my care a second time, that is," Captain Unohana divulged gently. Soi Fon smiled.

"You really think it'll work?" Soi Fon blushed as she stared at the other woman, their eyes meeting as they continued to walk.

"We're an interesting dichotomy, you and I, Soi Fon. I am a woman with nothing but love to give, and you are a woman who can't survive without love. In that, I believe we complete each other." Soi Fon was beyond simply vulnerable at these words. She felt downright fragile, as if any more powerful words would simply break her into a thousand tiny pieces.

"I hope I can be what you want me to. I hope I can be what you see in me. I hope I'm not as weak as I feel," Soi Fon shook nervously once more. Everything about this was so difficult for her.

"Your insecurity is understandable, Soi Fon. Taking steps like this is difficult for anyone no matter how strong they may be. Once you stop seeing me as someone to look up to with respect and instead as someone to love and embrace, the anxiety, the confusion, it will all pass," Retsu said softly.

"But how do I get to that level? I don't want to feel so scared and pathetic anymore," Soi Fon all but demanded.

"Would you really like to know that?" Retsu stopped walking and stood in place as she asked this question. This jarring change and the words still lingering in the sunset painted air made Soi Fon shiver fearfully as she too came to a stop.

"Y-yes... yes I would, Retsu," she spoke with building confidence as she looked directly at the other woman.

Retsu approached Soi Fon at a painfully slow pace. Every second the gap between them grew smaller Soi Fon became more tense. When the woman's arms wrapped around her and she was blanketed in warmth, Soi Fon questioned if she really wanted this. When she looked up into her enveloping blue eyes she knew that she did. When she felt Retsu's lips gently rub against hers she wondered how she could have ever wanted anything else.

The kiss was fairly brief but to Soi Fon it seemed to encapsulate a lifetime. Their eye contact never broke as their mouths joined lightly. In those moments it was as if all Soi Fon's worries were cast aside. It was as if she could finally move forward. Her arms wrapped around the woman as she kept their lips locked together tightly. Soon Soi Fon understood that, for the second time in her life, she had fallen in love.

"Did that make you feel better about everything, Soi Fon?" Retsu asked as their lips finally parted. Their eyes didn't.

"Yeah..." Soi Fon sighed out longingly as she reveled in the warmth of her beautiful partner's embrace. She didn't want it to ever end.

"I'm happy to hear it," Retsu smilingly said, still holding the other tightly "Now will you be wanting another date tomorrow?"

"I don't want tonight to end..." Soi Fon murmured languidly.

"Oh my?! I had no idea you were so eager to escalate things, Soi Fon," Retsu said showing the closest thing to surprise the other had ever seen grace her countenance. She lowered the embrace as if flustered.

"W-what? What are you talking about? What did I say?" Soi Fon frantically questioned, alarmed at the sudden shift in mood.

"Well, it's fairly late now, and you said you want to continue. There's only really one thing lovers tend to do this late into a date," Retsu said in as soft and tender a voice as always.

"What's that?" Soi Fon asked, not following the other's lead.

"Please don't make me explain things like that to you, Soi Fon, it's too embarrassing," Retsu said; for the first time in the eyes of the other her cheeks took on a red tint. Soi Fon quickly understood what her partner was talking about.

"Oh n-no! We don't have to do _that_ sort of thing yet! That can _definitely_ wait," Soi Fon assured, shaking her head and blushing profusely.

"Hmm? I'm not so sure now. I was thinking we would wait on that sort of thing, but now that you've brought it up, it does seem a good idea for us to take the final step in consummating our relationship," Retsu smiled that deceptively devious smile again as she spoke in a deliberate tone, "it will strengthen our bond and get rid of that last bit of nervousness for us both."

"You sure?" Soi Fon asked, a disquieted look in her eyes.

"I think it would be for the best," Retsu said in an affectionate tone. Soi Fon couldn't argue.

"All right. Let's go," She said with a smile to the elegant beauty. Apprehension was slowly becoming displaced by excitement.

"As you wish." With that the Retsu began to walk once more down the streets of Seireitei. Soi Fon walked beside her, allowing their hands to entangle as she stared up at the night sky and the beautiful full moon suspended within it.

A/N: End chapter 4. Again I seem to be putting the sex in the final chapter. It's worked really well that way in the last two stories so I thought i'd do it again. It saves me from short pointless conclusion chapters. Anyway, despite being uneventful as hell, I rather like this chapter. I have to question my logic in doing it this way and making the whole chapter one big long Soi X Unohana conversation and not including some cheap gimmick to cut back on how much dialog I had to come up with. Believe me, I considered throwing in another pointless Marechiyo scene, some sort of meeting, or even a third dream sequence, but in the end I decided chapter 4 should just be about the two girls. Next chapter you'll get the Captain X Captain love scene. Anyways, please review and tell me what you thought.

As I couldn't write for several days last week due to family visiting for the holiday, my poll got a considerable amount of extra vote collecting time. An astonishing 53 of you voted in my poll to see which of the more "mainstream" Bleach Yuri pairs were most popular. To absolutely no one in the world's surprise the winning pairing was Yoruichi X Soi Fon with 30 votes or 56 percent. I actually figured it'd be a higher percentage, but go figure. I was actually kind of surprised with ow closely the secondary mainstay of Bleach Yuri, Tatsuki X Orihime followed it, achieving 26 votes or 49 percent. Rukia X Orihime got third with 17 votes and Unohana X Isane found fourth with 15. Chizuru X Orihime was last with only 8 votes, being beaten by a fantasy pairing (Rangiku X Orihime) and loli-incest (Karin X Yuzu).

Now we arrive on an interesting topic, the current poll, the poll as to what my next story will be. Roughly a month ago I had a poll asking my readers if they had any interest in seeing fanfiction by me for a number of other series besides Bleach. I found there was a fair amount of interest in me doing so for some series, namely Soul Calibur, My-HiME, Fire Emblem, and Death Note. I decided then that I would branch out and maybe write some of this stuff at some point. Right now, I'm at a point where I'm not sure if it's time for me to do so yet. I'm really still into Bleach; it's not like when I was writing for Naruto where I stayed longer than I should have because I was afraid of alienating my fans. It's hard for me to make the call on my own, so I decided to do something different. For the first time, I'm running a mixed poll, that includes not only pairing options from Bleach but form other series as well (though not all the series I previously mentioned, jut the one's I currently have ideas for). But that's not all; all the options on the poll are strong ideas in my head, and I'm going to provide you with brief potential summaries of all of them, that way you can make a more informed decision.

So, here you have the six options:

A: Bleach. Pairing: Rangiku Matsumoto X Nanao Ise. Genre: Romance/humor. Summary: Rangiku and Nanao, both fed up with their captains, volunteer to lead an expedition to the human world. In the course of it all, they both realize they can't survive without hat conflicting personality in their lives, but that maybe it can be found in someone other than the one waiting for them back home.

B: Bleach. Pairing: Momo Hinamori X Nemu Kurotsuchi. Genre: Romance/hurt/comfort. Summary: Still afflicted after Aizen's betrayal, Momo has taken on a defeatist view of life. One day she happens upon a girl sadder than she is, and in supporting her her faith is slowly restored.

C: Bleach. Pairing: Rukia Kuchiki X Orihime Inoue. Genre: Romance/light humor (i.e. occasional Orihimeness). Summary: A despondent Orihime sees Rukia as both one of her closest friends, and deepest rivals. Contrarily, Rukia, after some awkward encounters, is beginning to see Orihime in a completely different light.

D: Soul Calibur. Pairing: Cassandra Alexandra X Sophitia Alexandra. (yes this would be an incest story) Genre: Romance/adventure. Summary: Sophitia, in her search for the cursed blade, instead happens upon her sister in the captivity of one of their foes. After freeing Cassandra, she does her best to continue her quest while supporting the shaken girl, in the process rediscovering and testing their sisterly bond in ways she wouldn't have imagined.

E: Soul Calibur. Pairing: Tira X Talim. Genre: Romance/adventure. Summary: The deranged, sadistic Tira is defeated soundly one day and left for dead. A naive young girl from the southeast happens upon her bloodied body and for some reason saves her life. As this girl and Tira cross paths multiple times, the girl tries desperately to change the other's warped outlook.

F: Death Note. Pairing: Misa Amane X Rem (human transformation). Genre: Humor/Romance. Summary: Boredom leads to a certain question, which leads to a certain quest, which leads to a certain big change for Rem. The eventual resulting changes to Misa Amane's love life and the fate of the world are the real story though.


	5. Cure

A/N: The final chapter. I hope you enjoy. This one contains a full on lesbian sex scene. If this sort of thing is too much for you I'm sorry. You can probably get some enjoyment out of the chapter in skipping around it though.

Disclaimer: I am not Batman and I do not own Bleach but either would be cool.

Soi Fon's excitement was short lived. As soon as the buildings belonging to the fourth division entered her sight a slight unnerving feeling crept across her spine. As she reached one of those buildings and was led inside and then through it, that slight feeling became more an overwhelming anxiety. When the door to Retsu Unohana's personal bedroom was opened for her she was shaking uncontrollably in complete fear.

It was a simple room, cleanly and ordered, sparsely furnished. It wasn't very large; Soi Fon could only guess Retsu was the type of Captain who would want her own quarters no bigger or more outstanding than those of her subordinates. Overall it was a fairly comfortable little room, though Soi Fon certainly wasn't comfortable herself.

Retsu slowly walked towards her bed. She sat down and then smiled toward the other woman. She spoke softly, "You ready, Soi Fon?"

Soi Fon didn't respond immediately, rather she paused a moment as she deliberated on what to say. Eventually she replied, her nerves painfully visible, "A-actually R-Retsu, may be we should hold off on this part for a while..."

"Oh? But earlier you seemed so eager and excited..." Retsu said with downcast eyes.

Soi Fon took a sad expression as well, "I'm sorry, but you misinterpreted my intentions, Retsu. All I meant to say was--"

"I understood your intent, Soi Fon," Retsu said with an off-putting gravity to her words.

"Then don't you think it would be more appropriate to wait, go on a few more dates, ad get to know each other better before we..." Soi Fon spoke rapidly, with few breaths before trailing off. Shyly, while blushing, she continued, "take such a big step in our relationship."

"In normal circumstances it might be more appropriate to move for deliberately, Soi Fon. However, in your case, the smaller steps will be the same as standing still. The only chance Soi Fon has of moving forward is a sudden leap," Retsu said in a somber manner. Soi Fon eyes went wide at the words.

"What are you saying?" the younger girl asked with a nervous twitch.

"Soi Fon and Captain Shihoin were the most intimate of friends but you were never lover. As this is the case, Soi Fon will not be able to truly move on and accept someone unless she can see them as a lover, as someone to hold closer to her heart than she did Captain Shihoin," the healer said in a hauntingly serious voice.

"Yeah, but still... to do something so... indecent… with someone like you..." Soi Fon blushed and trailed off.

"Thinking of that sort is another reason this is a necessary move," Retsu stated plainly.

"What do you mean?" Soi Fon questioned, surprised by the comment.

"You still don't see me as someone to open your heart to fully," the other woman answered in a low voice. Unsmilingly, she added, "You don't trust me or my intentions. You have yet to see me as anything other than the kindly healer who cares for not only you, but everyone else that lands in her care."

"But that's because I don't understand it! I don't understand why you're going so far for me. It's your duty to help people I know, but what do you get out of being with me like this?" Soi Fon said, a helpless and shaky look in her eyes that was beyond her control. Retsu stood from the bed and walked towards her. She was soon pulled into a soft embrace.

"That's a selfish question, Soi Fon. You are not the only one who wants to feel the passion and intimacy found in devoting yourself to someone above all others. I desire to find in you all the same things you desire to find in me," Retsu said softly into the other's ear; Soi Fon shivered at the words and the closeness as she looked up at the other woman. She was smiling as their eyes met.

"I see," Soi Fon blushed as her lips formed the slightest smile as she stare into the woman's gentle blue eyes. "I'm just scared that... maybe I'm not strong enough..."

Retsu let go of Soi Fon's small frame at these words, her hands instead went to the long braid hanging across her front, "Is that so? Then perhaps I should do something to improve your strength of will." Retsu gave a soft almost girlish laugh as she untied the end of her braid. She smirked as she ran fingers through it to separate the hair. She gave an almost scandalous look as she flipped the flowing black hair back.

Soi Fon was in shock. It was just a simple change in hair style but the change it brought about in Soi Fon's thought patterns was so extreme it was scary. She couldn't help it though. As she watched Retsu comb her fingers through her long black hair, now flowing down her back, Soi Fon couldn't help but be entranced. It was as if it wasn't even the same woman anymore; the kind, beautiful, and elegant Retsu Unohana had just transformed into some sort or mesmerizing goddess.

Soi Fon's jaw quivered. She was staring but she couldn't help. Retsu was smiling gently and blushing softly at the intensity of the stares. Soi Fon wanted to say something. Se wanted to tell Retsu how amazing she looked. Her mouth opened to speak but she couldn't find any words to force out of it. Amidst her struggle, Retsu stepped toward her again.

Soi Fon remained stunned in place as the woman's found her back. She then remained speechless as the woman's lips found her own. Her hands went to stroke the glorious black tresses that had left her in awe as she met Retsu's mouth with tender pressure. As their eyes became as locked as their mouths were, doubts and anxiety disappeared, this time for good.

"I love you," Soi Fon muttered. She knew it must sound ridiculous, but it was all she could say.

"Hearing you say that pleases me," Retsu smiled lovingly as she stared into the other woman's eyes. Soi Fon chose to continue the kiss.

Slowly Soi Fon was eased in the direction of the bed as the kiss reached greater pressure. In a complete daze, desperate to feel the other's love, Soi fon let her tongue slip gently from her mouth to taste the woman's lips. Retsu's gaze intensified at the contact. Soi Fon was surprised to find the sudden warmth of Retsu's won tongue brush against hers. It didn't feel wrong. It felt beautiful, she moved her tongue quicker in an effort to increase the contact.

As Retsu laid Soi Fon down on the bed, crawling over her, she let her tongue find it's way into the woman's mouth. It was an incredible mix of feelings. Soi Fon felt vulnerable, but she felt loved. The feel of that beautiful goddesses tongue swirling about her own was so warming. She could feel her heart accelerate its beating as her entire body filled with a desperate desire to be touched.

As if sensing the other's desires, Retsu pulled away. She smiled affectionately at Soi Fon, mouth still open and tongue still protruding and in motion, as she softly stroked her cheek. Her touch soon gravitated downward and she untied Soi Fon's haori; Soi Fon aided her in removing it. Another sash was then pulled and the rest of the Shihakusho was eased off of her. Soi Fon blushed uncontrollably as she was laid back on the bed, completely disrobed. Her embarrassment only grew when the other spoke.

"You are so very beautiful, Soi Fon," Retsu whispered tenderly as she gazed over the other's small, delicate frame.

"C-can I see you...?" Soi Fon meekly cooed her question with averted eyes. Retsu smiled.

"Of course you may," the fourth division captain replied quite simply.

Immediately Retsu's loose white haori was allowed to hit the floor. She undid the obi-sash underneath and soon the rest of her roes followed. At first sight of the body that had been concealed under the woman's robes, Soi Fon found it confirmed beyond any doubt that Retsu Unohana was a goddess.

Soi Fon, for the life of her, had never once considered what the woman standing before her might look like unclothed. She wasn't prepared for what we got. Retsu was lean and trim but exceptionally curvy. Her breasts were quite large and supple and her skin was such a beautiful smooth white. It was a body as sensuous and enrapturing as any Soi Fon had ever noticed. No, that was wrong; an unquestionable beauty like Rangiku Matsumoto, even Yoruichi Shihoin herself, no other women could have possibly compared.

"I can tell from your stares that my appearance excites you," Retsu said with a sensual smirk as she moved towards the bed. Soi Fon nodded sheepishly; there was no chance words could leave her mouth as it was joined once more to the other's.

A beyond magnetic pull guided Soi Fon's hand's to Retsu's body while the woman hung over her and kissed her deeply. She traced them through Retsu's hair and along her back, down across her hips up across her stomach before finding the soft, supple flesh of the woman's breasts. She kneaded them gently as Retsu's tongue in her mouth left her feeling weak.

Retsu broke her kisses to left out a pleasant coo as Soi Fon continued to play with her breasts. The younger woman moved her hands languidly, entranced by the smooth, pillowy texture under her fingers. Soon, amongst the softness, Soi Fon could feel a hard nub arise under either of her palms. She began to concentrate on these, lightly squeezing either between two of her fingers as she continued to tenderly grope and knead.

Then Retsu moved forward on the bed, bringing her breasts right before the other's face. Soi Fon blushed and smiled pleasantly as she bent her head forward slightly and took up a gentle suck at one of the beautiful mounds. As she teased Retsu's nipple lavishly with her tongue, Soi Fon let one hand entangle in the woman's long glorious hair while the other grasped and patted at the unattended breast. Retsu moaned politely in pleasure as one of her own hands went to the back of Soi Fon's head, softly holding it in place.

"That feels beautiful, Soi Fon," Retsu said affectionately as Soi Fon's excited tongue coated one of her nipples with much saliva. After minutes more of licking and sucking Soi Fon broke away from the first healthy mound and went to attend the other. As before, she too bathed the hard center of that breast with her tongue, stroking the delicate flesh lovingly, causing the woman attached to it to hold her even tighter.

After a few moments Retsu pulled her chest away from her lover. She seemed to give a slight laugh at Soi Fon's exposed tongue and indecent expression before positioning herself for another hard kiss. This time Soi Fon could feel as Retsu's breasts were pressed rigidly against her won smaller chest. It felt so comfortable and warm that she couldn't help but slow her tongue as it danced with Retsu's to let a pleasured moan into the woman's mouth.

A gentle look in Retsu's eyes, she broke from Soi Fon's mouth and kissed outside it, moving her soft lips down the other's cheek until the reached her neck. Soi Fon moaned loudly as she felt her beautiful goddess nibble at the curve of her throat. One of Retsu's hands found Soi Fon's chest and began to stroke the woman's hardened nipples, amplifying her pleasure. After a few moments of almost numbing sensations, Soi Fon felt as Retsu's kisses trailed downward from her sensitive neck and across her chest, eventually to replace her hand's struggle.

Soi Fon's back suddenly arched beyond her control at first feel of her lover's tongue hot against the sensitive nubs of her breasts. Retsu's head was soon bobbing back and forth deliberately, her tongue pressing into Soi Fon's smallish breasts and teasing either of her nipples rigorously. It felt amazing, perfectly and completely mesmerizing, better than any dream encounter with Yoruichi Shihoin; Soi Fon doubted there was any thing that could possibly feel better than what she felt now. It was then, of course, that Retsu decided to prove her partner's thoughts wrong.

Soi Fon didn't even notice at first when Retsu's hand found her thigh. When she felt the woman's fingers trace ever so slightly against her heated, sensitive sex it came as something of a surprise, a beautiful, incredible surprise. As Retsu continued to playfully tongue Soi Fon's breast her fingers soon began to dance across the woman's delicate opening, resulting in a feeling that was simply intoxicating.

Soi Fon panted deeply as Retsu's fingers slipped inside her causing warmth to explode throughout her body. Still filling the other's tender opening with her fingers, Retsu broke off from Soi Fon's chest and went to fill the woman's mouth with her tongue as well. Soi Fon couldn't even move her tongue against the other; the feelings were so overwhelming that all she could do was moan and pant against the soft warm organ as her body wriggled under the woman's touch.

Retsu broke the kiss rather abruptly. She then removed her hand from it's work, giving Soi Fon a brief moment to control her escalating heart rate. She moved down Soi Fon's body again, this time much more quickly, not stopping to place as many kisses. She moved past the smaller woman's breasts, down across the stomach and then further down until she was kissing as Soi Fon's thighs. Soi Fon soon realized what her lover wanted to try next. She would have protested at having Retsu do something perverse to her, but she could no longer fight off desire. She opened her legs wide as she blushed a deep red.

"Soi Fon's even beautiful down here," Retsu said with a longing sigh as she stared at the soft pink opening on display to her, outstretching a hand to stroke and spread it.

"Retsu... please... just..." Soi Fon started, both embarrassed and excited. She tried to spread her legs open even further.

Soi Fon didn't have to ask any further. Retsu gave her what she wanted as her face wavered toward Soi Fon's sex. The second division captain was overcome with gratification as she felt Retsu's tongue make its first long, wide stroke through her tender slit. Several similar strokes followed and each of then brought about a new level of unbelievable pleasure.

Soi Fon's back arched and her body writhed as helpless moans left her lips. With every slight movement of tongue Retsu graced her with she became more and more lost in her pleasure. She could hear over her own moans the indecent clicking sound that Retsu's long, moist tongue made as it traced deeply into her tight, wet slit. She could feel Retsu's hands clutching tightly into the flesh of her thighs in order to keep her fairly still. It was all so satisfying.

Retsu licked deeper and then harder and then higher. Her tongue became centralized in its movements until it was specifically circling around the pulsing nub that was Soi Fon's clitoris. Soi Fon cried out in shear bliss as her back arched yet again. Hardened breaths escaped one after the other as Retsu tended to her sex expertly. The euphoria being granted upon Soi Fon continued to grow with each careful movement until suddenly and with a heavy cry, it all exploded into something that was as if it was beyond sensation.

As Soi Fon came off her unfathomable high Retsu pulled away and smiled. As soon as Soi Fon's eyes were working correctly she realized how dirty the woman looked. The usual pristine retsu Unohana had the fine glisten of fluid all around her mouth and dripping down her chin. She was licking her lips as she gazed intently as the woman on the bed. Soi Fon smiled herself as she sat up, thrusting herself forward to join Retsu in a deep lover's kiss.

"Did you like that, Soi Fon?" Retsu asked in a soft voice as she momentarily pulled herself from the other's lips.

"It was amazing," Soi Fon cooed girlishly before continuing the kiss, reveling in her own taste on Retsu's lips.

"Do you want to pleasure me now, Soi Fon?" Retsu gave another question as she put just under an inch between them.

"Yes..." the other replied almost purringly. Retsu smiled as she placed one last short kiss on her lover's lips before moving into a better position on the bed. Soi Fon crawled over her.

The lithe woman began things with a soft kiss to her lover's lips. She moved downward quickly, her eagerness not allowing her to take time. Her hands groped Retsu's ample breasts as she placed tongue filled kisses at either one, causing Retsu to give off gentle moans. After almost near completely coating either heavy mound in her saliva she moved down across Retsu's stomach, her heart racing again, this time from excitement.

Retsu eased her legs open slightly, as if beckoning Soi Fon forth. She gazed in wonder at the glistening pink sex of her goddess. Her fingers stretched out to touch it; she marveled in its radiant heat and gushing wetness. It made her heart warm to think that she was responsible for it all. She bent forward and extended her tongue, letting it run deep into the soft, damp slit.

The subtle taste was beautiful. The sweet fragrance was enticing. The feel of the delightfully warm and moist flesh squishing against her tongue made Soi Fon's own juices start to flow again. But the sounds escaping Retsu's lips were simply spell-binding. Soi Fon couldn't believe a woman of Retsu's composure could make sounds so lewd yet melodious. Soi Fon wanted to hear the woman she loved pant and moan in pleasure; that's why her tongue flickered back and forth with everything she had.

Soi Fon licked with ardor. She abandoned herself to desire as she collected her lover's fluids all about her tongue. The friction resulting from the lightning speed licks was so intense that it was leaving Soi Fon's tongue numb. She slowed her licking to a more gradual pace as her hand went to Retsu's thigh. Pulling away, she replaced her tongue with a couple fingers.

Retsu let out a high squeal as Soi Fon's fingers slowly went deep inside of her. Soi Fon looked up at her blushing, pleasured face. Her goddess still looked so beautiful; Soi Fon had to thrust froward and join their mouths together yet again. Their tongues danced in tandem as Soi Fon pulsed her fingers in and out of the beautiful woman's tight opening.

Then Retsu did something that surprised Soi Fon. She let her own hand find its way back between the smaller woman's thighs. Soi Fon gave an exasperated moan into Retsu's mouth as her tender sex was filled with slender fingers as well. The kiss soon broke as both women found it necessary to pant and moan. Their inactive arms found each other's backs as they became wrapped in a tight embrace.

Holding Retsu, being held by Retsu, her fingers enveloped in warmth, Retsu with her love, it didn't take Soi Fon that long to reach a level of incredible pleasure rivaling that of her earlier bliss. It didn't take that long for her moans to equal and surpass Retsu's in volume. Only now her and Retsu shared such intimacy that the feeling was greater; she knew she was making Retsu feel all the same things.

Soi Fon felt Retsu's finger thrust deep into her; she gave a pulse of her hand in response. Their whole bodies eventually began to move against each other in a distinct rhythm. Thrusting, pulsing, moaning, crying, panting, it all continued for a great length of time. It felt so perfect.

Soi Fon could feel another climax imminent. Judging by the sharp increase in the intensity of her partner's breathing she figured Retsu must have been close as well. Retsu's able fingers moved quickly but forcefully; it was only a matter of time before their incessant motion and the magnificent sounds of Retsu's moaning drove her over the edge. Pleasure exploded across her once again as she cried out . She didn't break for a second though, she continued to make sudden movements with her hand, her fingers continued to vigorously tease the insides of Retsu's dripping slit. Soi Fon's determination inevitably won out as Retsu made a sound only a true goddess could, her body becoming tense and then relaxed in the sensation. Their mouths joined together instinctually as they kissed for a long while.

"I love you, Retsu. I really do," Soi Fon cooed submissively as they embraced.

"I am pleased to hear those words, Soi Fon. I love you as well," Retsu said in her usual benign fashion. As always, Soi Fon believed.

--

Soi Fon growled as she paced down the street. It had now been two weeks since her and Retsu Unohana had become lovers and in general she was happier now than ever before. Her only troubles now were those innate to a Captain of the Gotei 13, such as keeping track of her no good subordinates.

"Dammit Omaeda, where the hell are you at this time of night?!" Soi Fon said angrily under her breath as she walked quickly through Seireitei. She usually cared little in regard to what her uncouth second did with his time, but right now she had an important training mission for him to supervise. He was proving impossible to find though. As she was nearing the eleventh division building Soi Fon was giving up hope .

"So Omaeda, it true what the rumors been sayin'?!" An obnoxiously loud voice said as Soi Fon was passing by. She stopped in her place and quickly hid before moving closer and examining the scene from a distant rooftop.

Her oafish lieutenant was indeed there. He was sitting outside the eleventh division, a bottle of something in his hand. Sitting along with him were an obscene number of Gotei 13 higher ups including Zaraki Kenpachi, Shunsui Kyoraku, Jushiro Ukitake, Tetsuzaemon Iba, Rangiku Matsumoto, Renji Abarai, Yachiru Kusajishi, Ikakku Madarame, and Yumichika Ayasegawa. Almost everyone was drinking, heavily, one might add.

"Huh, what rumors, Madarame?" Omaeda replied, thickly.

"You know, the ones about your captain," the bald man said, leading.

"Oh yeah. It's all the lower ranks are talkin' 'bout the past few day. But that sort of thing can't be true, can it?" Renji said, his doubts evident. Soi Fon didn't know what to think. All of Soul Society was gossiping about her? Why would that be?

"I don't know what ya guys are talkin' about. What they been sayin' 'bout the Captain?!" Marechiyo said in a suitably uncivilized fashion, his finger finding the inside of his nose.

"You know... 'bout her and Captain Unohana being... _intimate_ with each other?" Tetsuzaemon said with a deep smiled. Soi Fon's entire face became instantly red.

"Wha?! But how does that work?! They're both ladies, ain't they?!" Marechiyo exclaimed. Though she was still beyond embarrassed Soi Fon couldn't help but shake her head at her moronic subordinate.

"It does happen, you know. Love is not always so clear cut," Yumichika said in an eloquent voice. Most glared at him; Kenpachi and Ikakku groaned.

" Well, I ain't seen any proof to support the rumors. I mean just the other day, wasn't Captain Soi Fon datin' you, Kyoraku?" Ikakku said with excessive volume.

"Oho, I remember that night. It was an enjoyable evening, even if it ended with a busted jaw and a jealous Nanao. Regardless I was glad to aid both my lovely female Captains," Shunsui answered in a joyous, carefree fashion as he rubbed his jaw. SoI Fon couldn't even remember hitting him, but she assumed he deserved it.

"Whadd'ya mean both? Weren't you just there to date Captain Soi Fon?" Ikakku shouted, taken aback.

"Shunsui means that our dates with Captain Soi Fon were arranged by Captain Unohana. His was, as was mine, Kenpachi's and likely others," Jushiro said in a low voice.

"What? Date? I thought Captain Unohana wanted me to fight the girl?!" Kenpachi was surprised by this. Soi Fon shook her head again. There were some serious idiots in the world.

"And we're so _shocked_ that someone like you would make that mistake, captain," Yumichika said with obvious sarcasm. His captain shot him a blood-thirsty look.

"Tch. Well, it was a damn good fight, I'll have to have a rematch with her someday," Kenpachi gave a deep chuckle. Soi Fon grit her teeth as she remembered fighting the man.

"I suppose it makes sense that Unohana's pullin' the strings. Had to wonder 'bout Captain Soi Fon before what with her goin' so far as to date my captain and all," Tetsuzaemon said, nodding.

"Yeah, that is kinda strange. I guess this rumors just a crazy misunderstanding. Captain Unohana's trying to hook Captain Soi Fon up, people see them together and just make assumptions," Rangiku sighed, seeming disappointed that there was a plausible disproof of the juicy gossip.

"Sounds 'bout right. If no one's seen the two of them together, it's probably not happening," Renji said with a firm nod.

"Yep. They been spendin' a lot of time together and stuff, but there ain't nuthin weird like that goin' on with the Captain," Marechiyo said, stupidly sure of himself.

"Just how much time?" Rangiku asked with a hopeful smirk.

"Huh? I don't know. Captain goes over to the fourth division some nights. And them sometimes that Unohana lady comes spend the night over in the second..." Marechiyo said in deep thought. Soi Fon let out a silent scolding as everyone stared at the large man awhile.

"You idiot! Why didn't ya say that sooner?!" shouted Ikakku while pointing at the oaf.

"Hey! I'm not an idiot!" Marechiyo countered, angered, but no one paid attention.

"That certainly does make it sound like they're actually doin' it," Rangiku said with a laugh.

"That'd be so hot..." Tetsuzaemon said loudly and drunkenly causing Soi Fon to gasp and almost everyone to shake their head. Renji and Shunsui seemed to nod in agreement though.

"It's kinda strange though... I never really saw either of them as the type who'd be into girls really..." Renji said, with thought.

"If you know anything about Captain Soi Fon's past you might not think that," Jushiro replied in a serious tone.

"Eh? Oh yeah, she was real close with Yoruichi in the past, right? I never heard it was that sort of thing though..." Renji said, surprised.

"It wasn't. At least it wasn't for Yoruichi," Jushiro said with a sad expression, "that is why I believe whatever sort of bond the two of them have now formed was the desired result all along."

"Oh? So me and you were used as tools then, my old friend, for Retsu Unohana to use in claiming what she desired?" Shunsui asked with a sigh.

"Retsu Unohana is not the type to leave any significant decision in the hands of something as random as trial and error. We were all just small steps in a path laid out by her," Jushiro stated evenly. Shunsui nodded.

"Hmm, I knew she was a scary lady, but I never would have guessed she was the type to use and deceive," Rangiku said with another sigh.

"Well, you probably wouldn't have guessed she was a lesbian either," Tetsuzaemon gave a short chuckle.

"Eh, I still refuse to believe it till I hear it straight from either one of 'em's mouth?" Kenpachi growled.

'"Then why don't you ask her, Kenny! Miss Captain Soi Fon's watching us from that roof over there!" the small, pink-haired little girl sitting in Kenpachi Zaraki's lap suddenly cheered, pointing directly at Soi Fon's hiding spot. Soi Fon disappeared from that general area as quick as possible, more embarrassed than ever before.

She cursed all those who just sat around and talked about her; she cursed the blush on her face; she cursed it all as she walked back down the street, having decided she'd just send a few of the other high officers in place of Marechiyo on the training mission. Then, suddenly someone appeared in her path, who she had no curses for.

"Hey," Soi Fon said softly while blushing as she ran up and placed a short kiss on her lover's lips. Retsu smiled at her.

"It's nice to see you here, Soi Fon. Tell me, have you completed organizing the nighttime training mission you told me about?" Retsu asked softly.

"Not quite. I couldn't find Omaeda so I have to send someone else out instead," Soi Fon bleakly sighed, "Looks like we won't be able to do anything together tonight."

"I'm sure we'll survive one night apart," Retsu said with a short laugh. Soi Fon smile.

"Speak for yourself. I don't know how I'm going to sleep without you beside me," said Soi Fon, as jokingly as it was serious.

"I'm sure you'll manage, " replied the other in a soft tone. Soi Fon blushed.

A moment passed before Soi Fon asked a question, "Retsu, when you made me go on all those dates, did you ever think for a moment that any of them would succeed?"

"Of course not," Retsu replied simply, almost bluntly.

"Then... if you just wanted me from the beginning... why'd you send me on all those pointless dates… why didn't you just tell me?" Soi Fon asked, somewhat sadly.

"Because it wouldn't have worked like that Soi Fon. You wouldn't have responded correctly. Those dates weren't pointless, Soi Fon, they were crucial in making our relationship a possibility," the kind, beautiful woman assured in a smooth voice.

"Explain..." ordered Soi Fon with a bit of a harsh stare.

"In order for you to have moved on and accepted someone new, you needed to let yourself become vulnerable Soi Fon. I needed you to slowly open up to me even if it was just a few words each night. I needed to give you the time to figure out for yourself what you needed to make happen before I approached you," Retsu explained in a level voice. Soi Fon smiled.

"My lover really is that manipulative," Soi Fon laughed.

"Do you hold it against me?" Retsu asked, a soft look in her eyes.

"What reason would I have for that?" Soi Fon flashed a loving smile. "I'm happier now than I ever have been."

Retsu didn't reply with words, she just smiled beautifully and placed a kiss on her lover's lips. They the said their goodbyes and went along their paths, both surely alive in the other's heart. Soi Fon smiled as she thought of the woman who was her new goddess. She knew that whatever the future held, as long as it held that woman, she'd be happy. At the very least, sudden bouts of sickness would never be a problem again.

A/N: And that's the end. I think it's a fair conclusion. These two really worked well together. All things considered I think the lemon was nice. I thought Retsu Unohana would be hard to sexualize; then I imagined her with no clothes on and her hair down and it wasn't so hard anymore. Soi Fon's so cute in this chapter. I included the ending scene to round the story out a bit, give some of the characters I used before another appearance (couldn't quite work Mayuri in again unfortunately). I don't know. tell me what you thought of the chapter and the story as a whole. I'd say it 's one of my better works.

Another poll getting an impressive 50 voters. Of course it seems like it's a hugely different 50 than the ones who voted in the poll that inspired me to think up half the choices. In that poll a few weeks ago 40 percent of voters had a desire to see me do a Soul Calibur fic, yet here choices D and E only managed 4 and 9 votes respectively. Also 9 votes was the other non-Bleach choice, choice F. I've really wanted to write this Death Note fic for awhile; it's kinda a shame it wasn't more popular.

So it ended up being a three way race between the Bleach choices. Choice A got 17 votes. Choice C got 18 and Choice B got 23 (almost half the voters). Needless to say, I'm surprised and maybe a little disappointed. Out of amusing pairing mechanics (A), light fun (B), sister incest (D), homicidal crazy girl X sweet innocent girl (E) and me completely screwing with Death Note (F), you all picked the depressing emo choice (B). Not that my Momo X Nemu fic won't be good. In fact, I'm sure it will be, but it definitely not the funnest of the choices that could have been picked.

I've pretty much decided I am going to stat writing one of the three non-Bleach stories upon the completion of my long-running perverse and idiotic Naruto OC story. As by that time, Soul Calibur IV will have been out for a few weeks, I'm going to take a wild guess and say that the Death Note fic I'm aching to write will be further postponed.

The new poll is a Bleach question that's been asked a thousand times, though not yet by me. I thought I'd get it out of the way.


End file.
